


Between You, Me, And The Tumbleweed

by The_Concierge_Of_Crime



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Multi, Violent Scenes, explicit sexual situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-02-24 09:23:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 315,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2576384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Concierge_Of_Crime/pseuds/The_Concierge_Of_Crime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>((Co-Written with my friend Dani, re-posted here from LJ; this work was first posted under her account of Future_ex.))</p><p>In the Old West, outlaws sometimes need to lie low. But on the way to the border these outlaws are running into a kind of trouble they’d never anticipated.</p><p>Disclaimer: We don’t own the characters in the story, sadly. All our knowledge of the Old West comes from films and books, so please bear with our occasional creative licence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Theirs was a relatively new town of the type that could be found emerging all over the country; sprung up around the natural deposits that were being mined and catering to the needs of those who worked down there. The mine had been active for thirty years and showed no sign of exhaustion, which meant that the town continued to prosper in a quiet, unassuming manner. The miners and their families lived in two-and-three room houses some distance from the mine itself and on what was considered the outskirts of the town, immediately before fields gave way to miles of undeveloped plains were the farms that did modestly well when the harvest was good. It was not a place for optimum growing conditions but there were few years when food was extremely scarce, in the leaner years there were enough animals both roaming free on the plains and being raised by the farmers themselves to stave off hunger.

The main street of the town was the same as a hundred other such towns, featuring the few businesses that prospered in such an environment; the blacksmiths, the barbers, the bank, the tailors, the undertakers. There was a twice-weekly market when the majority of the farmers would send wives or sons to sell their produce and the townsfolk would buy what they had been unable or unwilling to grow or raise themselves. Slightly off the main street but in sight of it was the large and beautiful church – the entire town came to a virtual stop on a Sunday, the mine was closed due to the devoutness of the owner and those workers who wanted to stay on the good side of the man attended the services. The only business that was never closed a day stood at the opposite end of the main street... the bar. Not that Theodore DiBiase had ever set foot in there.

It was widely said, although never to the man’s face, that Theodore Senior had decided his three sons routes in life in order to force them into working together once he had passed on (and no doubt been buried following a huge service at the church that he had personally funded the building of). His eldest son Michael had been brought up overseeing the day-to-day working of the mine owned by his father, while the youngest son Bret was rumoured to be involved in dealing with those that their wares were sold to, ensuring the best possible price for themselves. Middle son Theodore Junior, named after his father, was the one who studied the books and most importantly, the profit margins. If Theodore Junior announced that profits were falling, then it would mean jobs lost and lives ruined, which was why everyone in the town directed any prayers said in church on Sundays as pleas that the mine would remain profitable.

It had also been Ted’s duty since he had come of age and begun working for his father proper to take care of the financial side of things, a duty he accepted with no complaint. Working with the money side of things wasn’t the most interesting of careers but it was challenging if nothing else and he had been led to expect only that since he was young. Life dealing with costs and profits was better than most people got, even if it could be a little dull. Currently he was heading from the large house that he and his family lived in (and he had been born in – Mike claimed to remember living somewhere else before the mansion had been completed but Ted wasn’t sure that he believed him) to the bank to deposit the money from their latest deal; Bret was still very young but he had said they could negotiate a higher price than they had been initially offered from the representative wanting their goods and they had gotten it – although it had taken longer than they’d thought and Ted would be lucky to make it to the bank in time to pay the money in. Still, he had decided to walk anyway. By the time he’d saddled up his horse, there would be just as much time lost as if he had just headed straight out.

His mind wasn’t really on the errand at hand, he was still mulling over the representative as he hurried to the bank with the money they’d received in a leather case. He had arrived on a stagecoach from some distant city; instead of the blacksmith making whatever was needed there were factories where they put the materials from their mine to work, where thousands of people lived and worked, a place where it took a little longer than an hour to walk from one end to the other. To Ted, who had never left the town he had been born in, it all sounded impossibly glamorous. He was wise enough to know it was more likely to be cramped and crowded and dirty, but he figured he was allowed to romanticise inside the privacy of his own head. He knew everyone in town to some extent and as satisfactory as his small-town life was, he couldn’t help the thread of dissatisfaction that he was frequently trying to deny.

His pocket watch told him he was ten minutes before the bank closed as he drew up to the building and he allowed a slight smirk to cross his face before walking through the doors. He thought he saw an irritated frown pass over the face of the teller before it smoothed out again, mollified by the sight of one of the richest men in town approaching. Deposits made by Ted were regular but rarely on a set day, whereas withdrawals were always on a Friday, ahead of paying the miners for their weeks work. That there was a potentially large financial deal in place was the rumour spreading through the town for days and that could only be good news, even the teller who was rarely privy to anything that people discussed between them had heard it.

“Good afternoon Mr DiBiase,” said the teller politely, eyes going straight to the bag in Ted’s hands. “How can I help you?”

Ted managed to refrain from rolling his eyes – the man was so transparent – before putting the bag on the counter. “Deposit to make into the mine accounts,” he said jovially, trying to remember when the teller had started calling him Mr DiBiase and unable to. He had gone in there with his father when he was young and that same teller had always had some kind of a treat for him, but somewhere over the years he had gone from ‘Young Theodore’ to ‘Mr DiBiase’ and he hadn’t really noticed. The bank itself had stayed the same, from the walls and counter to the weekly newspaper on the counter, the wanted posters with drawn renditions of felons and some amount of reward money, the interchangeable female assistant who seemed to Ted to be the same woman unable to age past twenty-three (although it was that they were replaced once they became married or unattractive). The bank didn’t change in the same way that the town didn’t really change and Ted felt the sudden brief weight of oppression on him – something that had happened on several occasions, although he usually tried to shrug it off quickly.

“How is your daughter?” he asked casually as he signed the relevant papers; the question was just polite small-talk but he could see the way the tellers eyes lit up at it – Theodore DiBiase was from the richest family in town and considered the most eligible bachelor in the area since his elder brother had become engaged. Marrying into that family was a coup and even that slight interest was enough to pin hope on. He found himself being regaled with tales of how good said daughter was at keeping house, taking care of her widowed father while cooking, cleaning and somehow remaining pure and virtuous, meek and mild, in spite of many suitors begging for the chance to court her. This time, the urge to roll his eyes was stronger.

The assistant came over with the keys to put the money away, smiling in a shy but calculated fashion at Ted – his status as rich and single was not a secret – as the teller took both keys and money from them. Ted’s business was done, he could return home and have the rest of the night to himself. He decided that rather than read or spend time with his brothers, he would probably go riding. He felt that being alone in the open plains with the stars above him and the town out of sight would be just what he needed.

He bid the pair goodbye and turned to leave, blinking slightly as the door crashed open – he had gotten there so late that he’d expected to be the last one there. But someone else had arrived and although Ted wasn’t a short man, this guy managed to be taller still, most of his face hidden thanks to the shadow from his hat. Behind the newcomer two more men entered and moved to either side of him, both of them with similar hats but less pulled forward, mouths covered by bandanas. In his confusion as to what he was seeing, Ted noticed first that they’d stopped rather than stepping around him to do business. The second thing he noticed was pretty hard to miss; the man at the front brought up a gun and pointed it directly at him.

Ted’s eyes widened as he stared at the gun, instinctively taking a step back as if that would lessen any impact from a bullet. His eyes darted up to the man’s face and thought he saw a smirk beneath the hat, but he couldn’t look away from the gun for long. It might be the last thing he ever saw after all.

One of the men stepped forward, completely ignoring Ted and the man threatening him. “This is a robbery! You have two minutes to get all the money in this bank into our hands ‘fore we start shootin’.”

“So you might wanna hurry that up,” added the second man behind the one threatening Ted, also stepping forward and past them.

There was a part of Ted telling him that it was only money, better just to let it go. It boiled down to something very simple; there might be more money or there might not, they’d survive regardless. Their earning power was still in place and they could make up for this loss. Staring down the barrel of the gun, it came to him that money was a long way from the most important thing in life, whereas if he were to be shot, then there wouldn’t be any life, rich or poor. He could die, choking out his last on the floor of the bank while these – these outlaws took it all anyway. But pride wouldn’t let him do nothing at all. Everyone would find out that Theodore DiBiase Junior had stood by while the mines money was taken and while Ted would still live in his big house, the loss would be made up by the workers. He could stand a lot of things, but he would not be called a coward.

The tall man kept the gun trained on Ted but as the allotted two minutes drained away (and Ted could hear something going on behind him, the bank teller pleading while his assistant hit the floor in a dead faint) he seemed to be over-confident that Ted would remain as he was, stock-still with his hands in the air. The man’s attention went to whatever was happening behind Ted. “Put it in that leather bag there, it’ll be just—“

Ted moved with surprising speed, tackling the taller man and grabbing for the wrist holding the gun. For a moment his eyes met with stormy grey orbs before he found the other struggling against his grip, neither of them relinquishing the hold on the weapon. There was a single shot as the taller man squeezed the trigger, Ted almost jumping out of his skin when the bullet ploughed into the floor. His assailant tried to wrench free from his grasp but Ted held on long enough that the gun skittered from both their holds, falling onto the floor. Triumph swept through Ted as it did, his free arm going back to punch the man right in the face, hopefully knocking him out long enough for the sheriff to get there and lock him up overnight, ready for a swift trial and the business end of an executioners rope in the morning...

In his excitement, he had completely forgotten the other two men in the process of holding up the bank. He had barely begun his forward swing when something heavy collided with the back of his skull, his forward momentum sending him straight to the floor. For a moment he battled to remain lucid but it was a fight he lost. The world greyed out and the last thing he was aware of was the movement of boots in his line of vision before unconsciousness took him.

~:~

Ted’s first thought as he came around was that it should have been darker than it was. He had no reason to think so, if he’d been sleeping then when he woke up it should have been daylight coming through his windows – except he realised he wasn’t in bed. He was fully dressed, lying on the cold hard ground. Not to mention his head ached like crazy. He almost opened his mouth to yell for one of the staff and it was only common sense that told him he was away from home and no one was going to answer him that stayed his mouth. Instead he blinked open his eyes and saw that the reason it wasn’t as dark as he was expecting wasn’t because of the night – the sun was long gone and the sky was illuminated by nothing but stars – but because of the fire. He was out on the plains, lying on his side and there was some kind of campfire not so far away from him. Three men sat around it, passing a flask from person to person and Ted struggled to recall why he might be out on what seemed to be a camp without the niceties. He didn’t move. Even in his slightly confused state, it seemed imperative that he didn’t attract attention to himself.

“—Don’t think this is a good idea at all.” This from one of the men by the fire, whom Ted almost recognised; all of them had shed their hats and bandanas but he was certain he recognised the voice from the robbery. Of all of them this man was the shortest, sitting with his knees pulled almost to his chest and showing short black hair and a chiselled jaw. He looked familiar from something other than Ted’s most recent experience, but he was too shaken to put a name to a face, or think why that might be.

“He got Randy’s gun offa him, I had to do somethin’.” This from the second man by the fire in a slightly petulant tone. He was turned slightly away from Ted and all the man could see was dark hair in the light of the fire, the perfect proportions of his face. He accepted the flask and took a swig that seemed almost angry.

“I don’t mean that,” said the first man. “I mean takin’ him with us. We should have left him back there at the bank, that’s what I think.”

The third man rolled his neck slightly and took Ted’s attention to him. Taller than the others and with an unusual stillness, he stared into the fire. “We couldn’t. If anyone heard the shot, that’s when they’d come down on us and shoot ta kill. I took him as protection in case anyone came after us.”

The first man cleared his throat quietly. “But Randy – no one did.”

“Yeah, we know that now. We didn’t then. We can just leave him here and that’s fine.”

“I don’t know that we can.” It was the second man who spoke, the one that Ted couldn’t clearly see. “We’re miles from anywhere and he’s no water and no horse. And he might get lost. We could drag him to the next town and ditch him there...”

“So that he can say we kidnapped him and have all the sheriff’s men after us?” The first man ran a hand through short black hair. “If we leave him here, leave him water or somethin’, you know the town’ll have a posse out after us and they’ll find him soon enough. “

“That’s a pretty big chance to take with someone’s life,” returned the second man immediately.

The first man stared at him and then started laughing quietly. “Oh Cody. You’re such a sweetheart—“ The man called Cody picked a chunk of mud from beside him and threw it at his companion without any real malice in the action. The first man batted it away. “Seriously, he’ll be fine. And this is our last big job Cody and I for one don’t wanna be caught ‘cause you got all bleeding-heart about our temporary hostage. We almost got caught the last time that happened.”

There was a few seconds of silence and the atmosphere seemed to grow slightly heavier. Then the tallest man leaned forward, grabbing the flask from Cody and swilling the contents thoughtfully without taking a drink. “Look, I didn’t have no choice about that, the guy was gonna die otherwise.”

“The ‘guy’ was the sheriff.” The smaller man raised his eyebrows but Ted thought he saw some glimmer of amusement.

“Yeah, shot by the damn bank teller aiming at us.” Randy took a sip from the flask. “Anyway, I didn’t do much. Just stemmed the blood while you guys dealt with the shooter.”

“Didn’t he say he was gonna come after us?”

Randy snorted. “Yeah, but he wasn’t going anywhere with a bullet in him. And he ain’t caught up with us yet. No one has.”

“And if we want that to continue, we’ve gotta leave the hostage right here and get away while he’s still out of things.”

“Who said he was out of things Ev?” Randy’s voice was mild. “Cody didn’t hit him that hard. He’s been listenin’ in for the last few minutes.”

Ted grimaced slightly as he realised that the act was over and he’d been caught out, the eyes of all three men turning to him. Deciding that there was no point in faking anymore, he sat up rather stiffly and let his hand go to the back of his head, where Cody had apparently nailed him back at the bank. He didn’t seem to have a cut but his head still ached. He wondered what the hell he was supposed to say in a situation like this one.

“What’s yer name?” asked Randy, rather unexpectedly offering him the flask.

Ted got up, heading over to the fire and taking the flask, giving Randy a rather suspicious look before trying to work out the contents. Rotgut whisky by the smell, the kind that rotted your insides. He took a nip that barely got the taste into his mouth – it probably wasn’t a good idea to be drunk around these guys and certainly not to be dehydrated should they decide to leave him there.

Randy repeated the question and Ted started talking before his brain caught up with his mouth. “Ted...” He paused a moment. If these men had done their research on the town (and he had to believe that they had at least found the location of the bank and the quickest way out of town) then they would probably have heard his name, certainly his surname. And in spite of appearances and the weird friendliness of Randy, he had to remember he was at the mercy of men who would probably be just as happy to kill him as leave him – and they took their money through nefarious means. A kidnapping would probably not be a stretch of the imagination, given what his family were worth. Uneasily, he wondered if they realised that his father would probably already be doing everything in his power to find him.

“Smith,” he finished, rather weakly. The smaller man, Ev, gave him a suspicious look but Randy seemed to accept it at face value.

Cody reached over for the flask, treating Ted to a dazzling smile. “We’re not gonna hurt you Ted. Don’t worry.”

Ted made some non-committal sound and wished he could believe that.

What sound like a low, rich, chuckle emitted from the throat of the one called Randy, “I can see why ya’d be nervous, but ya need to calm down a little buckaroo; if I wanted ya dead then you’d never’ve made it outta that bank.” Unlike Randy’s previous statement Ted found that one slightly easier to believe. There was a small rustling by the fire and Ted turned head towards the figure that had stood—Ev, if he recalled correctly. Randy cocked his head to one side, “Where’re you goin’?” The small man clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes, hands on his hips, “I’m goin’ fer a piss, d’yeh mind?” on that note the little man turned on his heel and headed a few paces away from the campfire, vanishing into the darkness momentarily. Ted didn’t know why, because he knew the man was there, but not being able to see him was very unnerving indeed. His attention wasn’t on Ev for long though… the one called Cody had just moved into the firelight.

Now, Ted would never have thought before that a man could be beautiful, but at that moment he found himself unable to think about any other word to describe the man before him; a face in perfect proportion, and although he couldn’t tell what colour his eyes were he knew that they had to compliment the dark hair he possessed. Actually, thinking on it, Randy and Ev, the other two outlaws who had robbed the bank, were equally dark haired. He had heard whispers about outlaw gangs having something in common amongst their members and he wondered whether dark hair was their thing. Ted found himself shuffling closer to the fire as a sudden chill swept through him; the prairie nights were cold, and his shirt and pants were only the thin material that provided comfort to work in during the hot days. “Cold?” Cody asked him.

Not wishing to show anymore weakness before these men then he already had, Ted merely gave a casual shrug and said, “No, not really.” For the briefest of moments he swore that there was the briefest flicker of a smile upon Cody’s face, but it was gone before he could truly comment on it. Ev had returned back by this point and the three men began to converse about him once more as though he were not there… he had considered making a break for it but he knew he wouldn’t get far, and considering that he didn’t know how far away he was from town it wouldn’t be a good idea to go running around in the desert. If the snakes and dingoes didn’t get him then the sun and its exposure sure would. “So,” Ev was saying as Cody broke eye contact with Ted, “What are we gonna do with him? The further we take him the bigger the noose ‘round our necks if someone catches onto us.” None of them could deny that little fact.

“We’re gonna take him through to the next town, an’ drop him off—“Randy said after a few moments of debate, “—and then we’re gonna keep goin’. The sooner we get outta Teddy-boy’s way—“ Ted couldn’t help but give a small huff at the familiar term, and Randy smirked across at him before taking another sip from his flask, “—the sooner we can keep goin’.” It was then that Ted realised something pretty crucial that he had been overlooking in his shock of being kidnapped by outlaws and having a conversation with them: did they rob the bank, or did they end up having so much trouble with the scuffle that they left without? If anything he was surprised that they hadn’t done something to him just as retaliation for that—not that he was complaining. He had heard some of these outlaws could get very nasty and he was somewhat concerned about what sort of things they could end up doing to him if he didn’t cooperate with them. “Are ya gonna behave for us, Teddy-boy?” Randy said suddenly, turning to face him and Ted felt himself still a little bit in surprise at being suddenly addressed.

“Um, yes?” Ted responded absent-mindedly, thinking that he’d be rather stupid to respond otherwise.

“Looks like you’re smarter than I thought you were, considering you jumped an armed man with a gun in his hand,” Ted felt his ears flushing red and swore that he heard twin snickers from Cody and Ev, but they were silent when he looked to them. “Come on boys—we don’t have that long until dawn’ll break and I intend to get some sleep tonight.” Almost as though this was something that had been done before (and for all he knew it could’ve been) Cody suddenly stood up and came towards him. He didn’t know what it was but there was something about the way Cody walked that had Ted transfixed, and as a consequence he was completely and utterly confused as to why Cody was suddenly kneeling down before him… until a bit of rope was being tied around his hands, securing them behind his back.

“Hey—“Ted started, but the one called Cody merely arched a brow back at him.

“Do you really think we trust you to behave yourself fer us?” and on that note Cody pulled his bandana back over his mouth (just as when Ted had first seen him in the bank) before then giving the rope a pull and Ted awkwardly scrabbled to his feet. Leading Ted over to where his friend were, now astride their horses after putting the fire out, and then handed the rope over to Randy. Suddenly, Ted gave an undignified yip as he felt hands on his hide, pushing him hard, forcing him over the back of Randy’s saddle so that he was lain out on his stomach, draped across the horse like some damn carpet! If he hadn’t been so concerned for his safety, and what these men might do to him, Ted would have kicked up a fuss about being treated in such a manner. It was so… so rough!

Giving his backside a firm slap (again, what was he, a damn cowhide?) Cody snickered before then heading and moving to his own horse, kicking himself onto it with skill and then pulling onto Randy’s other side as the three then began riding. “We should be reachin’ the next town in about an hour or two if we keep up a steady pace and don’t end up falling down a sand-dune or somethin’,”

Evan reported, Randy making a sound of acknowledgement; Randy was clearly their leader, and Evan seemed like the brains, but Cody… where would that lead Cody? He could have said the ‘face’ of the operation but considering they covered their faces when completing their heists it was a bit redundant to think such a thing. And why did he keep thinking about how Cody looked? That wasn’t right… not right at all, and he was beginning to wonder whether he had been hit on the head harder than he (and everyone else) had anticipated that he had. Groaning uncomfortably Ted wriggled slightly, trying his hardest not to fall because he sincerely doubted he would be able to dismount in such a fashion without sustaining an injury.

“I think he’s a bit mad at us,” Ev commented absently, Ted considering that the smallest of the trio had been shockingly quiet since the statement about their travel time, “And after we’ve been so hospitable as well.” Randy and Cody laughed at this and Ted found himself glad that it was dark otherwise they would have all been able to see how much he was blushing. He couldn’t ever remember blushing so much in his life as he had in that one night, the wild and uncouth manners of his kidnappers being something he was most certainly not used to.

“We don’t offer many people lifts, Mr Smith,” Cody’s voice sounded and Ted reflexively tried to turn his head towards the sound of the man’s voice, “So just relax and enjoy it, huh?”

Silence passed between them all from that point on, the only speech between the three men coming as they changed direction or called out instructions to one another. Within mere minutes of hanging over the saddle as the horse galloped, Ted felt his stomach and ribs beginning to protest most painfully, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Small grunts and gasps of pain escaped him now and again but he did his best to try and muffle said noises—though under the circumstances he doubted he’d be looked down on for it.

Considering that it seemed to be (slowly but surely) lightening on the horizon before them Ted deduced that he must have been out of it much longer than he had intended when he had been knocked out by Cody in the bank. Opening his eyes –and then closing them again as the rocking motion made him feel sick even though he couldn’t really see what was before him in the essential darkness- Ted prayed with everything he had that the damned horse-ride stopped soon. Suddenly the horses slowed and Ted was thrown from the horse because of the backwards motion, “Ah!” he cried out, landing on his shoulder awkwardly.

“Shit!” he heard someone cursing from his side and horse hooves stopped altogether before he had rolled onto his back. Two hands (though obviously belonging to different people considering how they were positioned directly on either side of him) grabbed his arms and started to pull—the sudden torque on the shoulder he had landed on had Ted groaning loudly in pain, Randy’s voice then sounding in a rough growl, “Shut him up! We ain’t too far from the town!” and most of them had night watchmen, and they could do without being found before they were ready to be. Tears of pain obscured Ted’s vision (such as it was) for a moment, a cloth being shoved into his mouth afterwards. Please, please, God, let that cloth be clean or he’d…

“I have a bad feeling that he’s done something to his shoulder, Randy,” Ev said, ignoring Randy’s sarcastic return, “He landed on it, and with the way we bound his arms…” Although he had no medical experience and truthfully wouldn’t know, he didn’t think that his shoulder or arm was broken, but it hurt like nothing he’d ever felt before so he didn’t know.

“I’ll walk him,” Cody said suddenly, grasping Ted’s arms by the rope that bound them, his other hand keeping hold of his horse’s bridle. “We can’t do with spending forever trying to get him back on the horse and whatever else...”

Ted stumbled, his legs like jelly and his ribs and stomach aching alongside his shoulder, his body feeling completely and utterly in that moment as though it didn’t even belong to him. Coughing, Ted tried his hardest to keep up with the brisk pace his captors had set for their journey.

Almost as though it had emerged from the sandy ground a town suddenly loomed up before them and Ted almost collapsed onto the ground then and there and just told the outlaws to leave him. However, somewhere, somehow, he managed to find enough strength to go on until they entered the town’s perimeter. Instead of being walked to the Sheriff’s office or something though he found himself being pulled to a side.

The rope that bound his wrists was removed and Ted gingerly allowed his arms to come around his front. Both of the appendages were numb by this point but he couldn’t tell whether it was from the pain in his injured shoulder or the fact that he hadn’t be able to get his circulation going for a good long while; either way it was very unpleasant and Ted knew that he would probably have been sobbing like a young babe if he had been a lesser man. He looked up when he was pushed down to sit on the ground, weary eyes focusing on Cody. His horse, and those of his two friends were missing, and Ted assumed that they were waiting for him elsewhere. “Goodbye, Mr Smith, I do so hope you enjoyed your times with us here this evening.” On that note Cody’s hand came up, and Ted found himself shrouded in darkness once more.

Making his way back to Randy and Evan, Cody swung himself onto his horse. “Finished with your heart-wrenchin’ goodbye?” Randy’s smirk was visible in his voice and Cody kicked out at the other as he passed.  
“Shut yer mouth Randy—“he hastily snapped the horse’s reins and then started making his way right through the centre of the otherwise silent town, knowing that they had to be gone before the people of the town started to wake up. For some reason though Cody couldn’t get Ted Smith’s face from his mind.


	2. Chapter One: Ridin’ Somewhere South Of Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following his ordeal Ted receives unwanted attention-- and some unexpected revalations.

The next thing that Ted was aware of when he came around (again!) was that he was in his own room this time. For a moment he wondered whether or not he had just imagined the whole terrifying situation in the bank… but then he made to place his hand down and found himself impeded as to doing so. There was a very large sling covering the entirety of his arm and shoulder, his eyes staring down at it as though he couldn’t understand what he was seeing. “Theodore!” a voice cried from the doorway and Ted winced at the sudden loud sound before focusing.

 

“Ma?” he asked, the woman suddenly enveloping him in a cascade of petticoats and dark curls, “Ma!”

Ted groaned as she pressed his shoulder lightly and she immediately backed off. “Sorry dear!” she said immediately, looking close to tears, “Oh! Sylvia, go and fetch Mr DiBiase!”

Ted vaguely registered the sound of footsteps heading away from his room, groaning softly at the noise, closing his eyes, “Ma… What’s going on?” he asked her, forcing his eyes open to focus upon his mother’s face.

She bit her lip slightly, gloved hands moving restlessly at her sides, reaching for him but then stopping. “I think your father would be the one best to explain,” she then settled for.

His father all but barrelled through the door mere moments later, face red and spectacles almost falling off of his face. “Theodore!” Why his parents insisted upon calling him by his full given name Ted had no idea, but after several years of trying to get them to call him by his nickname he had learnt that it was just a lost cause. “I’ve sent a message to the doctor,” Theodore Sr. informed his wife and the woman nodded, obviously pleased with this development.

“Father, will you please explain to me what’s going on?” Ted asked his parents, feeling weary, knowing that he wanted to be annoyed, but having no energy to do it.

“In good time son, in good time,” the mining-boss responded vaguely, turning to respond to Brett when his youngest brother came in.

“I heard he’s awake—“Brett was saying, “Mike said he’ll come down as soon as we have someone to watch the offices—“

Ted was beginning to feel very overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people in the room, but he doubted that anyone would listen to him if he did voice said objections. The doctor, mercifully, ended up kicking everyone out as he examined him. He changed Ted’s bandages and reported that although his arm was not broken he had sustained some serious damage to it and that he would need to rest it for a good long while. This was rather depressing considering Ted wrote with this hand, and he needed his hands to do everything, but the doctor had said if he didn’t rest then he could end up with much worse than a sprain and extensive strain and damage… and he really didn’t want that happening.

When the doctor packed up his ominous black bag and then left (no doubt giving his father the bill on the way out) Ted shifted into a seated position as much as possible and then waited for his father to come back in. “I’m pleased to see that you’re awake, son—“and the man seemed touchingly genuine in that sentiment, “You’ve been out for about three days now.”

If he hadn’t been lying down he thought that that sentiment alone would have been enough to knock him over, “Three days?” he asked hoarsely, eyes widening, “Three?”

The usually cheery and ruddy-faced Theodore Sr. was unusually sombre and Ted felt himself feeling almost as though he was to blame for… whatever had happened to him after he had been abducted and knocked out again.

Wait… what had happened after he had been left there in that little town by the three outlaws?

“We received a telegram saying that you were over to the west-bridge, Sheriff had been by to tell us about the hold-up at the bank…” The elder DiBiase threaded his fingers through his own hair and removed his glasses as he sat heavily in the wooden chair besides Ted’s bed; that had obviously been placed there whilst he was unconscious for whoever was watching over him until he gained consciousness. “We were frantic. We didn’t know what had happened to you, and you’re mother was going crazy with worry.” That much Ted could anticipate; he’d always been told his mother was a little bit on the /excitable/ side when it came to her emotions.

“What were you thinking?” the senior Theodore said, manner changing almost in the blink of an eyelash, and Ted would have flinched back if he hadn’t been laid down and was able to move easier.

“What do you mean, dad?”

“I mean attacking armed hooligans!” Theodore Sr. boomed, “They could have killed you in an instant! The Cashier’s assistant fainted from the shock, and she has since resigned. The Cashier said that you had attacked one of the ruffs, and then a second attacked you before the third took a shot at both of them—“ The man was pale, throat working slightly and his words stilling now and again. Ted didn’t remember a time wherein he had seen his father displaying so much emotion—the man was usually so damn calm and collected.

“The doctor said my arm should recover with rest,” Ted tried to change the subject.

“And what about your head?” Ted Sr. asked.

Ted nodded his head (gingerly) before he then gave a verbal response, “He said it’ll be a bit sore, and he had to give me some cleaning solution for the cuts to avoid infection…”

The elder man nodded his head and Ted sighed before laying back down and yawning heavily behind his free hand. “The money—?” Ted remembered enough to ask.

Ted Sr. shook his head at his son, “They left it behind in the foray apparently.”

“Now son,” Ted Sr. sat down beside his son once more and looked at him seriously, “Ted, do you remember anything at all about the men who assaulted you? If you know anything you need to tell us, because then we can make sure we get ‘em all swingin’ from gibbets as soon as possible.”

Ted swallowed thickly at the mere mention of hanging someone, but when an image of that perfectly handsome face flashed into his mind Ted paused. He did remember. Randy, Evan and… Cody. If they ever came before him again he would be able to identify them. Heck, he could identify them if he had someone there to draw the Wanted Poster image. He knew all of this, knew it well indeed, but his mouth just couldn’t cooperate with him. He had the words on the tip of his tongue, but they just weren’t coming out for him when he attempted to make them do so. His father was looking at him, waiting, anticipating a response, but in the end...

“No,” Ted responded softly, “I don’t remember anything about them. There were three of them, that’s all I remember.”

The disappointment on his father’s face was apparent and Ted felt confliction clogging his throat thickly, but at the same time he couldn’t bring himself to give the names of his assailants.

What was wrong with him?

~:~

Much to Ted’s chagrin, it seemed that news of his escapades were all over town and exaggerated so as to be almost unrecognisable. His brothers delighted in telling him that he was something of a hero for attempting to save the banks money by taking on three armed bandits, being overwhelmed by their greater numbers and sneak attacks, then bravely managing to escape before he could be killed. That the cash had been left was only adding the rumours and both Mike and Brett seemed to take pleasure in Ted’s embarrassment. There were cards and notes from well-wishers, small gifts that Ted would have returned had it not been impolite to do so. Never one to lie in bed when all that was wrong with him was an injured arm and a headache, he got up and prowled around the house, trying to take his mind off what had gone on – his mother was scared for him and didn’t want him leaving the house. Even though he was a grown man! Mike and Brett would probably have laughed even more at him had it not been that his mothers concern extended to all her children and didn’t want any of them out of the safety of the house for a moment. Mike had a reprieve for work, while Brett bitched that it wasn’t him who’d been kidnapped and shot at. Ted was going stir crazy after two days, feeling like a rabbit in a cage being gawked at by anyone who cared to look.

But reprieve came surprisingly swiftly and from an unexpected source. The second day after he had come around in his own bed, their maid Sylvia approached him as he stared moodily through a window, a book opened but unread on his lap. It was probably unsurprising that he was thinking about the robbery and his kidnappers, what was more worrying was that his focus kept going back to one in particular – the one that they called Cody, the way he had looked when he turned his attention to Ted when he had finally moved into view, the flawless perfection of his face... he completely missed Sylvia’s first timid hail and it wasn’t until her second, slightly louder call of, “Master Theodore!” that he realised he was no longer alone.

Looking up, he smiled at her although the expression felt rather strained. “What is it Sylvia?”

“There’s a sheriff here to see ya—“ Ted didn’t see why she looked so concerned about the man whose chief job in the town seemed to be breaking up bar fights until she went on. “Not our sheriff. He’s from another town and he wants to talk to you. Should I show him in?”

Ted paused. “Me? Not my father?”

“No Master Ted, he said he wanted to talk to you about... about the robbery at the bank.”

With a slight frown, Ted nodded. “Well, I should certainly share what information I can to apprehend these men. Show him into the parlour, I’ll be there directly.” Although he already knew he wouldn’t be sharing anything that might lead to the apprehension of Cody. He had already lied to his father’s face, to the town sheriff, saying that he remembered nothing of their appearances when in reality he could identify them all – especially one. But there was some wild rebellious part of him that really didn’t want the gang to be captured. Killing him would have been easier, yet they had gone out of their way and risked themselves to leave him somewhere safe. That seemed out of character if they truly were cold-blooded killers.

Putting his book aside, he waited a few minutes before going into the parlour – one of the things his father had always said was that in the case of unexpected guests, one should never look anxious to see them, leave them waiting unless the business was extremely urgent, appear as though torn from something more important. And Ted had an uneasy feeling he wanted to postpone this as long as he could. But there was no way that he could put it off for too long without looking like he had something to hide.

When he went into the parlour, Sylvia was offering their guest a drink and it gave Ted a moment to examine the man before anyone realised he had arrived. Not to mention a moment to compose himself, because otherwise he would have been completely thrown. The sheriff was about the same height as himself and all of the DiBiase boys were above average in that department, but he also looked like he was a solid block of muscle, more than able to handle himself. Ted forced his expression into unsurprised joviality and entered the room properly, extending his hand to the man. “Hello, I’m Theodore DiBiase. You wanted to speak with me about something?”

The sheriff smiled, dimples appearing on his cheeks and Ted found that he already liked the man. Something about the open, friendly aura led to immediate trust – and Ted had to remind himself that this was probably a calculated air that was aimed at getting just that reaction from him. It had doubtless been used a hundred times before in order to make the unsuspecting say more than they intended to.

“Sheriff John Cena,” replied the man, shaking Ted’s hand firmly, his eyes going to Sylvia as she left the room and waiting a beat before he dropped Ted’s hand and continued. “Well, former Sheriff if I’m gonna be truthful with you. I’m not on the job formally, but I was hopin’ you’d humour me for a while.”

“You’ve intrigued me Sheriff,” said Ted, completely honestly. It didn’t surprise him that the man had bent the truth when it came to his position, a badge of the law held a lot of sway when getting past the door of a mansion such as the DiBiase’s and had he turned up as an ordinary man wanting to speak to Ted while he was supposed to be convalescing, he would undoubtedly have been turned away. What surprised him was that a former sheriff from out of town was visiting at all and wanted to talk about what had happened at the bank. It was a little ominous.

The man laughed. “Please, call me John. Since I’m not actin’ as Sheriff, there’s no need to stand on ceremony.”

The laugh was infectious; Ted found himself quirking a genuine smile. “Fine, if you’ll call me Ted. When you say Mister DiBiase, I keep waiting for my father to answer you.”

John laughed again, nodding his agreement as Sylvia re-entered the room carrying a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses, pouring them for the men and preparing to leave the room. John took a sip and praised it so much that Ted was certain he saw the stoic Sylvia blushing – and she’d been a staple in his life since he was a child, he was certain he’d never seen that reaction from her before. She was definitely smiling as she left them alone and Ted wondered if John could gain that reaction from everyone, becoming their friend with seemingly no effort at all.

John noticed Ted’s amusement and chuckled. “I’ve been ridin’ fer a couple of days and let me tell you, this beats lukewarm water any day of the week.” The smile faded and John grew more serious. “I’m real sorry to bring this up before you’ve had any chance to recover, but I think the men who tried to rob your bank are the same ones who tried the same trick in my town, and half a dozen others. They’ve failed to make off with the money in only two attempts, here and in my town. I’d like to ask you some questions, just so’s I can be sure it’s the same men.”

Ted looked back at John neutrally, but something about John’s sudden change in demeanour put him on his guard. He didn’t think that the friendliness was an act, or if it was then the man had missed his calling and should have been on the stage, but he thought that this was closer to the man’s real personality than the Mister Congeniality that he had displayed before.

“Excuse me for asking,” he said slowly. “But why is it of any importance to you what this gang did once they left your town? You said that they didn’t get away with any money and I doubt that you could tie all three behind your horse and drag them back to justice. I shouldn’t think they’d return either, so why the crusade?”

John looked back at him a moment and then gave a small grin. “I shoulda realised you’d wanna know that. I’ll be honest with you if you’ll be honest with me.”

Ted nodded and John continued, a slight frown marring his face. “About eight months ago, three men blew into town – our town ain’t as prosperous or close-knit as this one, we’re a loggin’ community and we get a lot of men lookin’ fer work. Three new people weren’t nothin’ new. They took out a room, spent the evening in the bar drinkin’ and playin’ poker, asked directions to the whore-house...”

Ted flushed slightly at the word and insinuation, something John noted with interest. “...Though far as I know, they didn’t drop none of their winnin’s there. Next mornin’, while most of the men in town were in the woods workin’, they saddled up their horses, walked into the bank and kindly requested every dime from the teller at gunpoint.”

Thinking back to his own ordeal, Ted nodded. He could imagine it very well and was aware that his presence at the bank had been rather unexpected to the gang even if it hadn’t seemed that way at the time. They probably had to consider customers after all. “But they didn’t get the money.”

“No. Because I got a note from the teller at the jailhouse tellin’ me that the teller needed to speak to me, he’d been given what he thought might be some counterfeit notes the day before and wanted to show them to me. They’d come from the bar and obviously I suspected one of the new guys in town. Only when I walked in the bank, the new guys were already there and in the process of tyin’ the man to his chair. I pulled out my gun, told ‘em they were under arrest. The three of them all pulled their weapons and I knew that they weren’t gonna go down easy. I singled out the leader and kept the gun on him, told the other two to freeze. They did, the teller didn’t. Old Alvin’s been waiting for the chance to shoot him a robber his whole life and they didn’t finish tyin’ him up before I got there. While everyone was distracted, he went for his gun. The one who’d been tyin’ him up hit the floor, Alvin pulled the trigger – I think he was going for the leader, the one I had the gun on. Only he missed and shot me instead.”

Ted almost laughed, even though getting shot couldn’t be funny. It was just that it seemed so foolish, to attempt to thwart a robbery only to shoot the one ally in the building. He managed to keep his poker face though, while John looked slightly rueful.

“In the excitement, they left the money behind and skipped town, though had there been enough people around the posse might’ve caught them. As it was, they had a headstart.”

“Did they kill this teller, Alvin?” asked Ted curiously.

“Strangely, no. They were a little enthusiastic about disarming him, he ended up with a broken wrist and a damned good lump on his head, but no gunshot. Considerate guys, for bank robbers.” A shadow passed over John’s face and was gone before Ted had the chance to decide what kind of expression that was, but it occurred to him that John was keeping something back about the incident. He had no way of knowing what though.

“The bullet caught me in the side and damn near killed me,” continued John. “If the bleedin’ hadn’t been stemmed right away, it probably woulda done. While I was recoverin’ the deputy took over my position and it was clear right away that he thought we’d never catch those guys. So I decided ta go after them. Call it personal.”

There was something in his eyes, Ted realised, that didn’t quite add up to a vendetta. He didn’t doubt that John wanted to find them and he didn’t doubt it was personal but he wasn’t sure that the former sheriff was hunting them down to bring them to justice for the robbery. The look was confusion and Ted recognised it because he’d been seeing it in his own eyes every time he saw his reflection. And it seemed that the cause was the same in John’s case as it was in his own – well, probably not exactly the same. He doubted that the man was unable to keep Cody out of his mind. And that he might caused him a rush of inexplicable jealousy. Ted explained it away to himself in a big hurry – he was the one who’d been kidnapped and the experience should be his and his alone.

But there were observances one simply didn’t make upon a first acquaintance. Instead, he went on another tack. “If you’ve been chasing these three, then you must know something about them.”

John nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of paper, unfolding them. Ted got up and went over to him, looking interestedly over his shoulder. He probably shouldn’t have expected anything different than the ‘Wanted’ poster before him, but his heart sank a little even so, although the picture wasn’t a very good one. John pointed at it. “I got this from the next town they hit, it’s based off witness statements but I was right up close to them and I don’t think it’s accurate. And I think the mayor was annoyed they didn’t have some gang name he could give them.”

He whipped the poster away to reveal another one, a single person shown on it. This picture was much better drawn and Ted didn’t have to make a leap of imagination to recognise it as the man the other two had called Ev. There was no name beneath it and the reward money was larger than it had been on the first poster. John chuckled, but there wasn’t much humour in it. “The town this one came from, ‘parently the other two got away while he created a distraction. Got onto the roof of the bank and while the sheriff was tryin’ ta get up there after him, he leapt onto the roof of the next buildin’ and jumped down from there – and I’ve seen the jumps he had to make, the guy must be completely fearless or completely crazy. He was on his horse and off before the sheriff even realised what was goin’ on. Apparently, he waved goodbye. That really burned him.” John smirked slightly. “I heard them call him Evan while I was lying in a pool of my own blood. This next guy though...”

Ted’s heart actually leapt as John revealed the next picture, clearly done by the same artist with the reward money in the same typeface as the first. There was a name with this one though and a moniker as well. He tried to keep his expression blank as he saw the face that had been in his mind since the moment he’d awoken in his own bed again.

“This is ‘Dashing’ Cody—“ John’s smirk grew. “Introduced himself as that to a young lady serving drinks in a bar. Very flirtatious according to her but apparently he liked the thought of the money more than he liked the thought of spending more time with her.” Ted couldn’t help his scowl, but fortunately for him, John wasn’t paying him any attention. He kept talking about something to do with the robbery, how Cody had been the one to take the money and bolt while his back was covered, but Ted was only half-listening. He was wondering if there was any way he could persuade John to let him have that poster and what the hell excuse he’d give for wanting it. He didn’t even know why he wanted it himself.

“And our last outlaw.” John showed Ted the final poster he had and Ted immediately recognised the set jaw and direct stare of Randy, although just like when he had seen the man at the bank there was a Stetson shading half his face. “Or ‘The Viper’ as they seem to have called him in this town. I can see why I suppose, but I think they only give ‘em names like that to make ‘em sound more dangerous...” He trailed off slightly, looking at the picture just a touch too long and too intently.

“Those are the men I’m chasin’,” John said abruptly, looking up at Ted suddenly and Ted was certain those blue eyes were boring a direct path to his brain and seeing the guilty thoughts there. “Are they the same ones who robbed the bank here?”

“It’s really hard to tell,” replied Ted before he could think about the lie. “It was all so confused in the bank and later on I’d been knocked out, twice and um, my vision wasn’t what it should have been and it was dark. And my brain took a rattling.” He gave what he hoped was a convincing smile. “It could have been them. It could have been someone else.”

“Oh?” John’s smile became suspicious. “Because before I came here I spoke to the teller and the young lady who was also there and they were certain that it was them.”

Ted shrugged. “Like I said John, I wasn’t in the best shape to make a later identification.” He raised his arm, displaying the sling.

But his injury didn’t seem to be throwing John off the scent. “They’re movin’ through the west in a roughly northerly direction. I’d say they’re headin’ fer the border and gatherin’ money along the way. This town, your bank, was probably going to be a big score for them and since they didn’t get anythin’ I’d think that one of the towns between here and their destination is gonna be next on the list. Someone else gettin’ the same treatment you did.”

Ted very much doubted that, since from what John was saying and from what he’d gleaned from overhearing them, he was the first hostage they’d taken and even his arm injury had been inadvertent. Although he certainly hadn’t liked the attitude they’d had when they threw him across the horse tied up like he was the criminal. “Then maybe you should look where they’re going, instead of where they’ve been.”

“I intend to.” John’s voice was serious and Ted didn’t doubt for a second that he’d do exactly as he promised.

“Why are you chasing them, really?” he asked, looking at the posters again. All of them had reward amounts printed beneath the main type of WANTED: DEAD. OR ALIVE. As if the ‘alive’ was reluctant. “Are you planning to get your revenge and maybe cash in on the reward money?”

“Trust me Ted, the money has nothing at all to do with it.” The expression on John’s face hadn’t changed and Ted realised he’d never actually said a word about getting his revenge. He hadn’t said why it was so important to chase them down at all. “And that might have been claimed by the time I catch up with them.”

He glanced at Ted’s slightly confused expression and smiled, more genuine than his former smirk. “What I mean is, there’s folk out there that hunt down people just like this and claim the reward money to make a living.”

“Bounty hunters?”

“Exactly. And I think that their troubles might be about to get a whole lot worse.” Ted still looked like he didn’t get it and John elaborated. “I’ll bet they didn’t realise who you were when they decided you’d make a better hostage than the lady. Your family is very rich and from what I heard before I spoke to you, your father’s irate. I’d think he might have hired out a bounty hunter of his own, somethin’ ta make ‘em pay for puttin’ their hands on his son.” He noticed Ted’s suddenly stunned expression and his tone softened slightly. “I’ve never met your father and I don’t know for sure that he’d do that. But powerful men don’t get that way by letting people cross them like they did. It’d be the logical thing to do. Hell, it’d be the first thing I did in his position. If that’s the case, I might not make it to them first.”

 

The fabric of the couch cushion underneath his finger was soft, textured, and quite possibly leaving an imprint in his flesh considering that he was gripping it so hard with his free hand. Reflexively his injured arm tensed and he winced without even realising it, eyes riveted onto John. The Sheriff (ex-Sheriff, his mind supplied helpfully) was eying him a little and said, “Look, I know it’s not a nice thing to consider but these are bad men…” that strange shadow crossed John’s face again and Ted found himself growing ever curious as to what brought those momentary lapses on negativity on John’s otherwise smiling face. But, aside from that, Ted was more concerned about this new development on his father’s part. Bounty-hunters? What was the man thinking? He had no idea and he was sure that he didn’t really want to know.

Shaking his head slightly, Ted then looked to John, “I want to go with you.”

The shock on John’s face would have been hilarious had he not been deadly serious about what he had just said. He meant every single word; he wanted to help John to get these men… wanted to find Cody before some god-awful bounty-hunter did.

“I’m sorry—“John gave a laugh that was not a laugh at all, using a hand to tap at his ears, “I think I’ve riding in the sands too long, clogging me old ears up. I coulda sworn that you just told me that you wanted to come with me.”

Ted knew how ridiculous it seemed: he was a small-town high-society boy who had little experience on horses and even less experience with guns, not to mention he was short one arm for at least another fortnight, but… he felt like he had to do this. He had to see the three men who had semi-kidnapped him, for… well, he didn’t know why exactly, but he just had to see them. Or, more accurately, he had to see Cody. He was like some otherworldly being that Ted couldn’t get from his mind, and he doubted that he would get him from mind until he had gotten closure, saw them brought to justice. The thought of Cody meeting justice in the form of a noose and gibbet made his stomach give the most unwelcome turn.

“That is indeed what I said,” Ted responded, nodding his head firmly, “And I meant it.” John looked at him with an understandably concerned expression on his face and Ted exhaled a breath, “Look, I know I may not seem up to much but damn it this is personal for me too.”

John stared him directly in the face for several long moments before exhaling a sigh and looking away, “Yeah… Cody always did have that effect on people,” he murmured, more to himself than Ted, the younger man not hearing what was said.

“I’m sorry?”

John startled as Ted spoke, shaking his head as he tucked the well-worn wanted posters back into his bag, “Look kid, I appreciate that you want to help but this is dangerous. They ain’t the only outlaws in the world you know, and you’re pretty well-known even in the next few towns.”

Ted almost cursed; he knew his family’s riches and notoriety would cause him problems one day. However, he refused to let himself be swayed by something that he deemed easily fixable, “John, you told me you’d be honest with me and I’d be honest with you,” he started and John nodded, “And I really think that I could help you out with this venture.” Please, please don’t let any of his family or Sylvia walk in and hear that, not until he got John’s answer.

“Ted, do you really think your family will let you come with me?”

Honestly? No, Ted didn’t think they would at all, but he figured that a little tale about travelling with a Sheriff to apprehend the possible ruffians who had assaulted him might potentially work. And if it didn’t? Well… he was going to go anyway. Maybe the knocks to his head had actually done some damage for him; he had never been this foolhardy and rebellious in the past, even though he knew it probably wouldn’t seem like it with how he’d acted in the bank.

John was quiet, pensive, obviously thinking hard, and Ted didn’t like to interrupt. However, he didn’t have too much time if he was going to be preparing for the long trip and everything. John muttered a little to himself, obviously thinking aloud, and though Ted thought the behaviour was slightly odd, he didn’t interrupt him. Eventually though John stood up, extending a hand out to him, “Alright kid, if you’re sure about this you can come with me.” He quirked a small smirk, “You might be living rough for a while; you sure you can handle this?”

At first blush Ted wanted to react to the slur, but then he saw the smile in John’s bright blue eyes and realised he was only teasing. “Yes, I’m sure.” Ted’s response was immediate and serious; he knew that it was going to be hard-going, but at the same time he was willing to face the challenges head-on.

“I guess you’re gonna need time to talk to your family, huh?” John asked, and the smile that Ted had had since John had agreed to let him accompany him slipped right from his face to be replaced with an expression of consternation and woe.

John gave a laugh and shook Ted’s hand again before placing his hat back on his head and securing the strap of his bag. “I’m staying in the hotel further down the way… the Bella Saloon?” he asked and Ted nodded his head; the Bella Twins (and, yes, they were referred exactly in that fashion) were the daughters of the man who owned the Saloon, he having moved in when his daughters were infants, naming the Saloon after them.

“It’s a very pleasant establishment,” he said dutifully. And, in truth, there was nothing wrong with the Saloon itself… it was just the way the Bella Twins attempted to cosy up to you that was a little uncomfortable. Or, at least, he found it uncomfortable. For all he knew John might like that sort of thing, though Ted somehow doubted it; John might have been unmarried (no wedding-band) struck him as a very moral and upright man, even if he wasn’t some celibate monk.

“If you can make it then I’ll meet you outside the Saloon bright and early tomorrow; we’ll have a decent ways to go if we want to catch up to them and I want to get an early start.” Ted nodded his head, making mental notes swiftly before John continued, “Though if you can’t make it I’d appreciate a message to let me know as soon as possible so that I ain’t hanging around like a dumb-dora, you understand?”

Nodding and reassuring John that he would indeed be letting the other know one way or another, Ted walked John to the door. Sylvia came bustling out of the kitchen, obviously intending to get the door for them, but Ted waved her off, “It’s quite alright Sylvia, I’ve got it.” The woman looked surprised and mildly suspicious before she nodded her head and then curtsied slightly before backing into the kitchen to resume what she had been doing—baking, from the looks of it.

“Well, I shall hopefully be seeing you on the morrow, good Sheriff,” Ted grinned as John arched a brow and then shook his head before chuckling, “You had a good day now, Mister DiBiase.” Ted conceded that shot from John with an incline of his head, shaking hands with the man and then watching as he walked down the front stairs of their family’s manor before kicking himself expertly onto a white horse and riding back down the drive way to their main-gates. A Sheriff on a white horse, who wore a white hat… John was like a character who had stepped out of one of his mother’s childhood tales for them.

~:~

Upon leaving the DiBiase family compound, John exhaled a low sigh and patted his hose’s neck lightly with his free hand, the other merely holding the reins loosely, “What was I thinking, Hustle? That kid’s wet behind the ears and a nice young boy… I doubt he’s even seen a gun up close before until the hold-up.” His faithful horse gave a soft whinny, as though responding to him and John quirked a small smile before then giving the animal’s reins a small tug to direct him down the dirt track that led from the DiBiase home and through the town. He had had Hustle since he had been a mere foal, had raised him by hand and with love and patience, and he was the most loyal and faithful working-partner a man could hope for.

Even though he knew from the second the words had come out of Ted’s mouth that it would be a bad idea to let the kid along with him he couldn’t help but say yes; he saw many similarities between himself and Ted when he had been Ted’s age; young and idealistic, strict views on right and wrong and the expectancy that everyone followed those rules, or met with proper punishment should they not. Now he was older, wiser, knew that the world wasn’t as clear cut as one would like to make it. Reaching the Saloon, John slipped from his saddle with more grace than many expected of a man his size.

Securing Hustle into his stable placement for the night John then headed into the Saloon and headed up to his room (dodging one of the Twins along the way, the dark haired woman giving him many undue hints about what she’d like to do with him) closing the door and leaning against it. Closing his eyes momentarily John then straightened and moved across to the bed he was using for the night, sitting on it as he opened his bag once more. Pulling out the wanted poster of The Viper, John looked at the grainy image. “I’m sure it’s you,” he murmured, hands tightening around the paper somewhat, crinkling it further. “I’m damn well sure it’s you… and when I find ya again, I’m gonna prove it… Randy.”

~:~

That night hadn’t gone down well in the DiBiase home; every single one of his family was against him accompanying John, even after Ted had pointed out that he was a Sheriff and therefore a more than capable travel companion.

“Theodore—“Theodore Sr. had been looking at his son as though he doubted his sanity, and on some personal level Ted doubted his own sanity so that was fair play, “You can’t be serious, boy. Now more than ever you should be aware of all-a the dangers in this world?”

Sighing, Ted nodded and said, “Father, I am more than aware, was aware even before the incident in the bank. I want to do this, I need to do this. If I can bring them to justice…”

Ted Senior looked to his wife, who looked helplessly back, Brett staring at Ted as though he’d just announced that he had acquired a taste for wearing lady’s undergarments, Mike seeming of a similar opinion as his mother sat there with her gloved hands over her mouth… and, no, he wasn’t just overdramatizing the moment.

“I want to do this,” Ted repeated, his dinner long-since forgotten, standing up. “I’m sorry if you don’t agree with my opinion, but I have to do what I feel is right.” Using his good hand to tuck his chair underneath the table he said a polite good night and headed upstairs, calling to Sylvia—he had packing to do.

~:~

That next morning, after a small breakfast and a restocking of necessary supplies, John was sitting astride Hustle and waiting to see whether Ted would be joining him or not. Just as he was starting to give up hope, expecting that the young man must have forgotten to send someone to alert him, he heard hooves approaching. Looking up, John pushed the brim of his hat back and then found himself blinking several times in surprise as Ted came into view. There was some rather sizeable saddlebags on his horse, a tan and white young’un that John could bet had never travelled long distance before, his bandaged arm making him look a veritable sorry-sight indeed. “Good morning, She—John,” Ted amended, drawing up alongside the man. Chuckling softly and shaking his head, John then nodded, “Good morning to you, Ted.” People were staring at them as they walked by, some even whispering behind their hands and John rolled his eyes, “Shall we get goin’? We got some serious ground to cover.”

Nodding his head Ted nudged his horse’s sides gently, “Come on Penny,” he clucked gently and the horse began a normal pace.

John looked amused, tilting his head to one side, “Why did you choose that name for… her?”

Smiling ruefully, embarrassment on his face, Ted looked down at his horse before looking up again, “All of the horses we own have some link with money, my father’s idea.” He shook his head wanly, “I have Penny, my brother Mike has Dollar and Brett has Dime.”

The ex-Sheriff had a thoughtful expression on his face at that, “Is it just you three boys?” he inquired.

Ted nodded his head, “Yes, just us three. I think my mother did want a girl, but it never happened, and she told me that she didn’t want anymore.” Not that he faulted her for that even a little bit. “Do you have any siblings?” he asked curiously, wondering what sort of family the small-town Sheriff hailed from.

“Well, we weren’t so well-off as your family,” John started, waving away Ted’s embarrassed, reflexive apology, “But we did well for ourselves. We never went hungry at least, and I know people who weren’t so lucky. My father was a wood-worker, my mother a maid for some old, cranky-ass big-shot that lived on the outskirts of town, they didn’t make a lot but they did their darndest for us five boys.”

Ted’s eyes widened in surprise at that, “Five?” he asked, rather awestruck. Their family was the biggest he knew, most of the people he associating with having one sibling, or even one solitary child and that was it.

“Yup,” John responded, “I was the second born, by the way.”

“So… are any of your brothers in law enforcement too?” Ted asked interestedly; he knew many different classes of people, but he’d not really known anyone’s history to the depth that he was leaning John’s. He really appreciated the way the man was being open with him, because although he trusted that John was credible and wasn’t about to suddenly turn out to be working with the gang that had attempted to rob the bank or something, it made him feel as though the man was making himself a little vulnerable in turn.

“Nah,” John chuckled, “That was just me. My youngest brother is a teacher whilst the second youngest is a stable-hand. The third works on a nearby farm, and my eldest brother is a jack-of-all trades. He never could settle down; used to drive my Ma and Pa up the walls.” The affection with which John spoke about his family was undeniable and Ted hoped that he was as positive and warm when he spoke about his siblings and parents to other people.

“I take it you all work in the family business?” That was what John had heard about the three DiBiase’s when he had been in the town after first arriving upon hearing about The Viper, Dashing and Little-One (the personal nickname John had given the smallest of the three bandits considering that he didn’t appear to have a moniker given to him) and although he didn’t really doubt the word of the town’s people, it was always good to receive confirmation from a reliable source.

“Yes, we do,” Ted admitted, looking vaguely uncertain for a moment, “I guess I never really considered doing anything else.” For as long as he could remember he and his brothers had been groomed and trained to take over the business when their father retired completely.

“Hey, ain’t nothin’ wrong with that,” John assured, “If I hadn’t wanted to be a Sheriff then I woulda been workin’ along-side my father with the woodworks.” They fell silent a little while after that, each lost to their own thoughts and reflecting upon what they had been told about their new companion and acquaintance.

~:~

Several hours later, as the sun started to lower in the sky, John finally nodded his head and indicated what appeared to be a very large town in the distance. “This is where I think they will have come,” John said. “The little towns we passed previously are far too select and much too close to the crime-scene for strangers to stay without being regarded with suspicion. This here is a place where no-one’ll look twice at you as long as you throw money the right way,” a slight disgust worked into John’s tone at this.

Just as John and Ted were making their way into the town, finding a local hotel and attempting to secure themselves a room for a night (they could extend the lease day by day as necessary, John warning Ted not to let the owners and operators try to swindle more money out of him by paying in bulk at once) three men were enjoying a drink in the nearby Saloon. Well, two of them were enjoying a drink the third was merely looking into the glass of alcohol before him with a pensive expression, as though the liquor held the secrets of life (which, to some folks, it probably did). Looking across to his friend, Evan then whacked Cody’s arm lightly with his fist, “What’s wrong with you, Code? You’ve been outta it all night and since this mornin’.” His voice was obscured by the din of other Saloon attendees and the music for the dancing girls, but he spoke quietly anyway.

“What?” Cody blinked several times and then looked up to Randy and Evan. Cody took a wild stab in the dark and assumed that they had asked him whether he wanted to pitch in for room service for their dinner that evening, or whether they’d be roughing it out of habit and to conserve cash. “Whatever you guys want to do is fine,.”

Randy picked up his own drink, swilling the amber liquid in the glass with a slight smirk curling the corner of his mouth, “He hasn’t been the same since we picked up that feisty little blonde sweetie.” The words were spoken in a mocking simper, Randy’s stormy eyes glimmering with amusement. Cody attempted to kick the other underneath the table, but it seemed that Randy had been anticipating the move because Cody’s foot met air as opposed to Randy’s shin, “What are you, a horse?” Randy quipped, Cody scowling at the other, the smallest of blushes touching his face.

“I think the heat’s gotten to yer head, Viper.” Randy’s smirk grew at the sound of his nickname; he rather liked it.

Evan rolled his eyes at the interaction of the two men that he called his friends and took a drink of his own beverage… something that was distinctly non-alcoholic. “So,” he interrupted after a moment when it seemed like Cody and Randy were gearing up for another one of their girl-fights, the taller men turning to him, “What are our plans?”

Randy leant back in his chair, dark hair obscuring the upper part of his face to everyone except his companions considering they were so close to him. Cody and Evan also had hats on, though theirs were subtly different in style than Randy’s, even though they too had dark colours. “I think we’ll stay here for a night, maybe two…” that was the longest they ever allowed themselves to stay in any one area, “And then we’ll move on to good ol’ Jericho’s town. It’s close to the border and the biggest city between here and there.”

Barely noticeably Evan’s hand jerked ever-so-slightly, but neither Cody nor Randy saw, both discussing which route they were going to take. Cody had just lent backwards to indicate one of the dancing/serving girls in the room, needing his drink refreshing, but then he caught sight of a man walking into the Saloon. Even if he hadn’t recognised the white hat and dimpled smile, the sheer bulk of the man would be forever imprinted in his mind; before Sheriff Cena, Randy was the most physically built man Cody had ever seen.

“Fuck me sideways with a bull,” he breathed, paling slightly. Cena hadn’t seen them, wasn’t even looking around really, merely walking to the bar.

Randy looked at Evan, both of them raising a brow, “What the hell is wrong with you?” Randy turned (ready to see which gent had caught Cody’s eye this time) before immediately clocking upon the man Cody had spotted. Sheriff Cena. Well, it looked like the man was made out of sturdy stuff; he looked very well for a man who’d been lying with a bullet in his side not too long ago.

Cena walked out to the side, where the outhouse was, and Randy pulled his hat low before standing, “Wait here,” he muttered gruffly, ignoring the warnings and threats to Get his ass back here now! as he smoothly wove between the masses of bodies in the Saloon, following his blue-eyed, be-dimpled quarry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always the usual disclaimers apply, and many thanks to those of you who have taken an interest in our work :D


	3. Chapter Two: Roam From Town To Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paths cross and intentions are made plain... alongside some other interesting realisations.

The outhouse at the back of a bar was never going to be the most pleasant of places but John barely noticed, merely breathing shallowly and closing the door behind him before facing the wooden slats and aiming for the hole in the centre, something that whomever had been there before him hadn’t seen particularly good at. Bringing Ted might have been a mistake but if he could, he was going to keep the kid out of the way. Because the Viper was here somewhere... he could sense it. 

Just as the flow died to a trickle, the door to the outhouse flew open. John had been lost in his thoughts and almost jumped out of his skin – but before he could turn and tell them to damn well wait or puke elsewhere, something pressed against the back of his neck. John froze. He’d recognise the barrel of a gun anywhere. 

“Didn’t expect to see you around these parts, Sheriff Cena.” 

And there was something else he’d recognise anywhere, that gravelly voice tinged with amusement. He cursed himself silently; hadn’t he just been thinking that Randy was around here somewhere? Instead of being on his guard at all times, he’d been caught with his pants down – almost literally in this case. 

“Seems like every time I see you, you’ve got your cock in your hand.” And there was no mistaking the amusement in the voice this time. John fixed his gaze on the wall opposite, feeling Randy’s presence crowding the small space. He was madder than hell at himself but that emotion was almost suppressed by the sense of Randy right behind him, close enough that John could feel his body heat, the first time he’d been in the man’s presence since Randy and his friends had robbed the damned bank.

Slowly, John tucked himself back into his pants. “You’ve got my attention – are you gonna get that gun outta my neck now?”

Randy gave a low chuckle and jabbed the gun slightly harder into the back of his neck, making John expect that he was going to spend the foreseeable future talking to Randy without being able to actually seeing him – but then the gun moved and John slowly turned around, not wanting to make any sudden movements because he knew damned well that Randy would still be holding the gun. Sure enough, he was, just as John had expected. What was also expected, and equally unwelcome, was the way his heartbeat increased when he saw those stormy grey-blue eyes watching him intently from beneath the hat. John was a tall man but Randy still had three inches on him and between that and the close quarters of the outhouse he was feeling slightly intimidated – not that he was going to show it, he decided as he straightened his back and stared back at Randy. 

Randy met his eyes for long moments and then sighed. “What the hell are you doing here John? And don’t tell me you were just visiting or some shit like that.” 

John opened his mouth to speak and then closed it, shaking his head slowly. The truth was that he wasn’t at all sure why he had come out here. “You’re a wanted man and I’m a sheriff.”

“And a long way out of town. Don’t you have other criminals to catch? Or are you being paid to go off after the big bad bank robbers and leave that deputy of yours in charge?” Randy smirked and John could understand it, given that his deputy hardly had the look that struck fear into potential criminals, but he’d been a lot more competent than he looked and if he hadn’t been doing an adequate job then John wouldn’t have left the town in his hands... or so he told himself. 

John refused to be cowed, didn’t let his eyes flicker to the gun, instead holding Randy’s gaze. “You do know that you’re wanted in about six different towns right now?”

“Nine,” said Randy promptly, smirking slightly. “So, what are you gonna do about it, take me in? Tie me up and drag me back behind your horse, have a quick trial and a quicker hanging? Go ahead.”

This time, John’s eyes did stutter down to the gun, going back to Randy’s face quickly but not fast enough, the other had seen it. “Didn’t think so. So why did you track us down?” 

“Because I could. And if I could, so could anyone. You’re not that hard to work out.” John folded his arms over his chest. “You know what the reward money’s up to? That’s serious business and you’re in serious trouble.”

Randy took a step even closer to John, searching his face for signs of answers. “Why do you care?”

John returned the stare, starting to feel angry. This wasn’t going the way he had expected it to, when he had dared to consider how he was going to handle it when he finally caught up with Randy and his friends. “God only knows,” he retorted. 

“If you’re out here,” said Randy, slowly and deliberately. “Then you’re not the Sheriff anymore. You’re not the Sheriff around these parts anyway.”

“I can go back,” returned John, a touch too quickly. “And whether or not I’ve any authority in this town don’t matter. There’s a price on your head and anyone can claim it, Sheriff or not.”

“And that’s why you followed me?” 

John paused, the gun not forgotten but he honestly didn’t believe that Randy was going to use it on him – not then anyway. “I was hoping you’d give yourselves up. If you do, come back with me, I can guarantee that you won’t hang. You’ll do some jail time, I can recommend to the judge that you don’t get long...”

He trailed off as Randy started to laugh, disappointed but not even a little bit surprised. He had known all along what Randy’s reaction to the suggestion would be. “Jail time? Can you see me in a cage? Cody? Evan? Shit no. I’d rather get shot as a free man than let you lock me up. You’d be better off shooting me right now, because I ain’t letting you take any of us.”

“If if ain’t me, it’s gonna be someone else,” John retorted. “Your posters are plastered over half the towns in the west. You’re gonna get recognised – and you made a huge mistake in the last town you were in.” He noted the confusion that Randy was trying to hide and rolled his eyes. “Oh shit. You don’t even know what you did, do you? You’ve really no idea who you pissed off and what you set in motion. Dammit Randy, you screwed up big time and you don’t even know what you did!”

Randy drew back slightly, looking like he was about to say something – and that was when they both heard the commotion outside. They both looked to the side of the wall, as if they could see something through it and then back at each other hurriedly, in case the other tried something. There was a shout, a couple of gunshots and John suddenly remembered Ted, whom he was supposed to be meeting in the bar. Shit! If he got caught in the crossfire of some shoot-out then John would never be able to forgive himself. He had to get back and make sure the kid was okay, ensure that his lack of experience didn’t mean that he stood there and got shot, or that he tried the same kind of pointless heroics that he had done facing Randy at the bank. But Randy was between him and the door, stopping him going anywhere. 

There was a shout and Randy’s eyes widened slightly – John could understand that, if there was something going down then Randy was probably right to be concerned about his gang. There could be anything going on out there, barfight, duel, some other bunch of outlaws ridden into town and raising some hell. Randy’s eyes flickered to the side again, then raised his gun so that it was pointing at the ceiling rather than John. “Sounds like I’ve got other places to be,” he said with a grin and John saw the look in his eyes – Randy got off on the excitement. John wondered if he’d get the same adrenaline rush in the moment before someone put a bullet between his eyes. 

Before John could say a word – and there was nothing he’d be able to do to dissuade the man from going back to the rest of his gang – Randy moved with a speed that took him by surprise, resting a hand on the back of John’s head and pulling him into a kiss that stunned John into freezing completely. There was nothing gentle or affectionate about it; it was hard, passionate and over within a couple of seconds. When Randy pulled back suddenly, he noted John’s wide-open blue eyes and disbelieving expression and grinned at him in response. “Maybe you’ll get your guy some other day Sheriff,” he said, tipping him a wink, kicking open the outhouse door and heading out into the melee. 

John watched him vanish through the door, gaping slightly, brain seemingly ceasing all function. Randy had kissed him – and what the fuck kind of game did he think he was playing? All of a sudden John was infuriated beyond anything he’d been earlier. Had Randy still been standing in front of him, there was a good chance he’d have disregarded the gun and punched the man regardless. 

~:~

Evan Bourne had known Randy Orton for a lot of years, even before Cody had come on the scene and although he was dismayed when Randy ignored them and went after Cena (and hopefully he wouldn’t broadcast his presence, but that was probably too much to ask for) he wasn’t at all surprised. Randy had always been the kind who would poke a rattlesnake with a stick to get a reaction rather than give it a wide berth. He glanced over at Cody. “Looks like we won’t be sleepin’ indoors tonight.”

“Guess not.” Cody chuckled, pulling out a deck of cards. “Probably asking for trouble startin’ a game when he’s gonna come through any minute and tell us to move our asses, but we might as well kill time while he has his fun, huh?”

“Not for money though,” returned Evan with a grin. “I’m not leaving any of that behind.”

Cody laughed and dealt, his eyes occasionally sweeping through the bar in case of trouble – any outlaw who wanted to stay alive did the exact same thing and that was the reason none of them liked to sit with their backs to the door. The saloon was relatively busy, loud and raucous, just the way Cody liked it. People paid less attention to the strangers when there was something else going on elsewhere. 

Evan glanced at his cards, his mind not really on the game. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go back to Bone Orchard,” he said almost casually. “There was enough trouble the last time we were down that way.”

“We didn’t rob the bank, did we?” Cody looked over his cards and pulled a slightly disgusted face at them, which didn’t fool Evan one bit. “And we didn’t cause no trouble. No one’s gonna remember us, or look twice at us.”

Evan didn’t believe that for a moment, he was certain that Jericho would remember them, but it seemed the decision had already been made. “What about this time? We didn’t get the cash from the last bank, thanks to you decidin’ blondie was a better hostage than the lady.”

“Wouldn’t want to go disrespectin’ a lady in that way,” said Cody, tone as casual as Evan’s had been and fooling him about as much as the weak bluff with the cards. “They’re scared easy and more trouble than it’s worth to take ‘em. I guess Randy’ll decide if we hit the bank when we get to town, or if we make a stop somewhere on the way. Somewhere we’re still strangers,” he added with what Evan thought was a touch of unnecessary sarcasm. 

Speaking of strangers... the doors swung open and a man walked in, pausing a moment later and scanning the people there. The set of his body suggested that he had expected everyone to stop and stare, but in spite of every set of eyes taking him in, no one stopped what they were doing for a second. But there was something about him that put Cody on edge. He placed a card on the table, his entire body language announcing that he was completely relaxed when in fact the opposite was true. “Check out that guy,” he said in a low, casual voice. “He’s lookin’ for someone.”

Evan’s eyes darted over to the newcomer and then he too placed a card on the table, although it was only for show at this point and they both knew it. “There’s supposed to be three of us, we might get lucky. And he got here awful fast.”

“Five days since we hit the last place,” returned Cody, so caught up in his scrutiny of the man and his feigned casualness that he failed to notice as another man walked into the bar, pausing only long enough to search out the bar and heading there with his head down. “If he was sicked on us right off, then it’s not fast at all.”

“Look sharp,” said Evan in an even lower voice as the man’s attention zeroed in on them. He crossed the floor in long strides, pausing before their table. Cody and Evan both looked up as if completely disinterested, but the man’s gaze was centred entirely on Evan.

“Knew I’d gitcha someday Wyatt,” he said with complete satisfaction in his tone, pulling out his gun and taking aim. “Knew—“

Both men reacted before he could say more, Cody hitting the ground and rolling while Evan threw back his chair and fled aside. A bullet tore into the floor behind him and he moved faster, realising it was him who had drawn the man’s fire and not Cody. A sense of exhilaration flooded through him; the guy was trying to kill him and the only thing he needed to be thinking of was surviving. It was the same feeling he got every time, strong and addictive. 

He leapt onto a table and straight back off it, hearing glass shatter behind him as a bullet hit the glasses that were still falling from where he’d knocked them over, landing in a crouch on the bar and turning. The pianist had stopped playing and across the saloon people were diving beneath tables or drawing their own weapons. Not good, not good at all, but to Evan it all seemed like just another obstacle rather than a real threat. 

There was another gunshot, not from his assailant this time but from behind him. At the same time, the man dropped his gun and started yelling about how he was killed, he was shot, falling to the floor and making so much noise that Evan doubted very much that there was anything fatally wrong with him, assuming that he didn’t go to the local doctor for whatever injury he had. A second later Cody was on his feet again, gun still in his hand. Just because no one had shot at them aside from one man, didn’t mean that the rest of the bar wouldn’t join in. Gunshots had a way of inciting more of the same, especially on a bellyful of whisky. 

Cody looked over to him, already heading for the door. “Who the fuck’s Wyatt?”

“How the hell would I know? Me, apparently!” Evan saw the barman grabbing his own piece from beneath the bar, took a step and jumped again, one hand easily grabbing the huge beams of the low roof and using it to swing further, clearing the heads of those by the bar who’d hit the floor when the shooting started and landing in a clear spot, heading toward the doors as well. Cody almost groaned; if Randy was the type to poke a sleeping rattlesnake then Evan was the type to pick it up and this situation was just another example. Sometimes he was sure their friend had some kind of death wish, plunging headfirst into some suicidally risky plan and yet always coming out a survivor on the other side. And Evan was laughing like a crazy man, apparently loving every moment of the action. 

Their guy might be on the floor and screaming, but there was a bar full of others who apparently weren’t done for the night; Cody letting off a bullet of his own seemed to have been the cue for everyone to go at each other. No more bullets had been let off yet, but a fist-fight had broken out in one corner and the barman looked like he meant business with the rifle in his hands. 

“Time to let fly,” said Cody to Evan as the other reached him, glancing over to the batwing doors – and that was the moment the barman fired a shot into the air. The brawlers paused, Cody and Evan glancing over to the bar to see whether it was time to take to their heels or return fire. 

“Someone take Bill to the doc, I’m sicka hearin’ him holler.” The barman glanced over at them. “Man’s crazy. Always shoutin’ about Wyatt but he never shot at no one before.” He glanced over at the pair who had been brawling, apparently unsure of what to do now that there wasn’t a proper fight breaking out. “And you two are payin’ for the damages!”

Cody and Evan exchanged glances of utter confusion as the music started up again, the former brawlers picking up the table they’d knocked over. They weren’t used to trouble being diffused and they certainly weren’t used to being treated like a couple of naughty schoolboys in a playground fraca; neither of them were quite sure how to react now it seemed their identities were still a secret after all.

 

~:~

 

John didn’t move for several long seconds after Randy had left him in the outhouse. It seemed to take tremendous effort to walk out, having no choice but to walk back through the bar since the outhouse was in a small brick-walled section that he doubted he’d look very innocent if he was found climbing over it. Moving slowly, stiffly, John walked through the backdoor and through the bar. The place was a mess, but considering the noise he had heard previously, there was no indication that anything out of the ordinary had even gone on.

 

Shaking himself slightly, John then cleared a mass of chips and playing cards on the floor, pushing the swinging Saloon doors open and making his way out. Mercifully it seemed that Ted was just on his way over, because they almost bumped into one another on the way in. “Ted, we should be heading back to the hotel,” John said, smile much too bright to be realistic, even in John’s case.

 

Seeing the strange manner his new friend was acting in, Ted felt a momentary unease run through him. That, coupled with the way John had made absolutely sure Ted couldn’t see passed him into the bar, gave Ted the distinct feeling that he had missed something. “Did something happen?” he asked, John’s hand on his good shoulder tightening a little bit, his other hand holding the bottle he had picked up in the bar on his way back through from visiting the outhouse, “You seem tense,” Ted continued, “And I heard a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ not too long ago…”

 

Even though he knew it probably wasn’t good to be keeping things from the man he had essentially partnered himself with for the duration of this exercise, John couldn’t help himself, “There was just some excitement in the bar, that’s all,” he said casually, “Someone tried gettin’ a little inappropriate with one of the dancing girls and a few punches were thrown, so I heard—I was in the outhouse and so missed it all.”

 

Ted looked understandably wary as they walked into their hotel and John supposed that he deserved that; it did seem a little flimsy to his own ears and Ted was a lot sharper than some of the people that he had had to deal with before. And it was this consideration that had John sighing and dropping heavily onto one of the small beds in the room he and Ted had rented, trying to think how best to say what had happened between he and The Viper. If folks found it funny that they were sharing a room no one had said anything, and he felt that Ted’s injury provided them with an adequate excuse to be sharing… not that they were doing anything inappropriate in their sharing, but, well, y’never knew how some folks might gossip.

 

“They were in the Saloon,” John started quietly, Ted looking across to him in confusion as he stubbornly struggled to pour himself a drink with his hand, almost knocking the bottle from the small side table at the words. Ted’s eyes were wide, mouth open, “Wh- Well if they were in there why didn’t you stop them?” That was a fair enough question and John felt the earlier self-furious consternation welling in him because of his inability to incapacitate Randy, “He cornered me outside as I was comin’ outta the outhouse—“ a little embellishment wouldn’t hurt, “With his gun on me, so I was kinda at a disadvantage.”  
Nodding, eyes wide, Ted then asked, “Did he hurt you? Threaten you?” John shook his head, feeling oddly touched that Ted seemed so genuinely concerned for his safety when he had known him less than 24-hours by that point in time. “Nah, he didn’ do nothin’ to me; he jus’ kinda held the gun on me a little and talked… he likes to talk.” Oh yes, John knew that Randy liked to talk—the whispered words that had gone into his ear when he had found himself momentarily outnumbered by the three men had been forever burned into his ears… much like that kiss had now been burnt into the mental picture-show that was his imagination. “And then everythin’ went down in the bar and he high-tailed it off, everything being calm by the time I went in, but then I didn’ really stop to look around and see if they were in there,” he admitted sheepishly.

 

Exhaling a soft breath Ted then reached across and patted one of John’s impressively broad shoulders, “Well, at least we know we’re on the right track, huh?” he offered and John sent him a small smile, feeling oddly relieved that Ted had accepted what he had said without questioning him too much, “Yes, that’s true.” The outlaws and their plans for the next day were discussed a little while longer before then deciding to head to a local bar that was supposed to have pretty excellent food for their dinner. Granted, the food wasn’t as luxurious as Ted was used to, but it was definitely a major improvement to John who had been living on little more than slow cooked beans and the occasional bit of meat for days on end between towns.

 

~:~

 

“What just went on in there, boys?” Randy asked, having collared Cody and Evan at the end of the brawl, pulling the two men outside behind him, the pair of them still frozen in place where the bartender had told them off. The man came out, shouting and demanding, saying something about damages… but one of Randy’s famous looks and the man was backing off sharply. Satisfied that they wouldn’t need to be concerned about him now (and he’d probably forget their faces in a day or two anyway) Randy turned his attention back towards his friends as they made their way towards their horses. Evan looked perplexed and Cody seemed downright flabbergasted. “Some guy pulled a gun on me,” Evan then admitted, hastening on when Randy tensed in that tell-tale way that denoted trouble.

 

“-so Cody got his gun out after I did a runner, and next thing we know everyone’s firin’ and hollerin’—“ he left out the part, of course, where he had been climbing over furniture and probably not helping the matter, “And then suddenly it stops.” A slightly sour expression crossed Evan’s face as Cody then added on the helpful supplement of, “Apparently this loon takes pot-shots at someone every few days, thinking they’re this Wyatt character he’s made up in his head.” It was funny now in retrospect, though at the time he had been as scared as Evan had, and he hadn’t even been the one who had truly been in the man’s line-of-fire, “And we were apparently gonna be payin’ fer the damages until you scared the ‘tender off… thanks fer that by the way,” Cody sent Randy the smile that had further credited his moniker of ‘Dashing’ to the general public.

 

Rolling his eyes affectionately and exasperatedly, Randy reached and cuffed both young men around the backs of their heads before swinging himself up onto his awaiting black horse, Venom. It was on that note that Evan slyly asked, “And how was Sheriff Cena, Randal?” Randy stopped for the barest of moments, something clouding those story eyes, gone before one could identify it, but enough to let his companions know what they needed to. “Damn it, Randy,” Cody latched onto the opening he had been provided with, wanting revenge for all their ‘Blondie’ comments they had been making (referring to his apparent infatuation with their ex-captive, Ted) by giving Randy the same sort of treatment, “Yeh’re damn-well gonna get us killed one of these days. Just fuck the man and be done with it already!” he clucked.

 

Any other man would probably have choked on thin air and had a conniption at the thought of being involved with another man as such, but Randy barely blinked, merely increasing the speed of Venom as he and his boys started to draw out of the town, leaving the subject of their conversation behind, “Cody, don’tcha think if I coulda done then I woulda by now?” he had never known a man like Sheriff Cena, and there was something so compelling about a man who bounced back, could take what he dished out and then come back for more. The smile slid from his face though as he thought of John’s earlier words: /Who/ had they pissed off in that last town? /What/ was going on now?

 

“Hey, earth t’Randy!” The sudden words startled him and Randy shot Cody a glower (which had absolutely no effect on him considering that he had seen it so many times before) before asking gruffly, “What?” Cody merely looked amused before then saying, “We’ve been askin’ yeh where abouts you want us to stop fer about five minutes now, and you’ve just been staring into space without any reaction to us.” Shrugging slightly Randy said gruffly, “I’ll know when I know.” And the other two had little choice but to accept those words; Randy had never steered them wrong before, his instincts working almost on a whole new level to everyone else’s. Trading looks Cody and Evan then fell silent.

 

In truth Randy was struggling with his own subconscious then; Cody’s previous words had opened up the lock on the thoughts he usually kept closely guarded, visited only when he was sure that he had time alone, needing to be without Cody and Evan hearing a certain name on his lips. They might share similar… /sympathies/, but he doubted that they’d be as understanding if they knew he wanted to show a certain Sheriff his gun… and not the one he kept in his hip-holster.

~:~

 

Morning seemed to dawn very early for Ted, but that could potentially be because he hadn’t slept very well indeed. Whenever he had closed his eyes (after tossing and turning to try and find a comfortable position for his arm) a smirking, beautiful face with piercing dark eyes kept flooding his mind’s-eye and filling him with a feeling that was very much the /opposite/ of /sleeping/. Sitting up as carefully as possible (the mattress he was sleeping on was not only lumpy, but squeaky) Ted sighed and merely leant his head back on the headboard; he was beginning to think more and more that he was not capable of fulfilling this endeavour, the lack of creature comforts really getting to him already it seemed. And then he became angry with himself because he /knew/ that he was no spoilt little brat who couldn’t do anything off his own merit, even though he probably seemed that way to an outsider.

 

John was snoring softly in the bed beside him, seeming deep in sleep (though as soon as five in the morning came around his eyes were open, consciousness returning to him as though he had merely been napping) and Cody envied him for that. However, on another level, he was just /glad/ that John had settled; all throughout dinner that previous evening, though he had been funny and warm in manner Ted could sense that there was something off about the other man. He hadn’t wanted to press the issue since he didn’t want the man to get mad at him, but he had tried dropping subtle hints to let the Sheriff know that if he needed to talk then they could no problem. Watching as the sky outside seemed to get lighter and lighter, Ted wondered how his family were doing. It’d only been one night since he’d been away from them and he missed them greatly.

 

Slowly, John’s eyes opened and he found himself confronted by the sight of Ted, knees drawn up and an oddly contemplative look on his face, staring into nothingness. “Mornin’,” he tried, though the sound came out barely decipherable, so he tried again, “Mornin’ Ted.” Ted responded this time, obviously having thought the last time was just John making noises in his sleep, “Good morning, John.” John shifted, pushing himself into an upright position, naked torso being exposed from underneath the thin blankets. Ted blushed despite himself and looked away; John was a nice man, and handsome in his way he supposed, but Ted /was not/ interested in him in… /that/… way, and he didn’t want to give the implication that he was.

 

“Ow…” John groaned as he rolled his strong neck out, grimacing somewhat and swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. “Mind if I use the pot?” John asked, indicating the chamber pot, and Ted shook his head before politely looking away as John did his business. Actually, hearing John answering nature’s call alerted him to the fact that he had yet to respond to said call himself even though he had been awake a good long while now. When John had finished Ted shifted off of the bed himself, the roles reversing as Ted used the pot and John looked away. “So I’m thinkin’ that we grab some breakfast and then get outta here, sound good to you?” John asked, pulling on his shirt as he spoke and adding the trousers after a moment, socks and well-worn boots being added before his waistcoat and hat completed his outfit.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Ted nodded his head as he tucked himself awkwardly into his pants once more. Shifting his bandages as he moved towards the bed Ted then released his arm from the sling; a low sound of discomfort left him, but it was more from the cramp at having his arm in one position for so long as opposed to actually experiencing pain from his now essentially week-old injury. “You sure yeh’re Ok?” John asked concernedly and Ted nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine thanks.” He looked contemplatively at his sling as he undid the supportive bandages to change them, “You know…” Ted started softly, thinking aloud more so than addressing John, “I think I might not bother with the bandages and that now. My arm feels a little tender, sure, but it hurts more to release it from its confines than it does to leave it loose.”

 

An uneasy expression crossed John’s face (he had heard-tell that the injury Ted had suffered had been rather serious) but when the other seemed to experience no ill-effects as he –albeit somewhat awkwardly- dressed himself in his fresh clothing, he was forced to concede that Ted knew his limits better than he did, and that it wouldn’t do to baby the other man. Upon finishing dressing they then packed their belongings up again (such as they had been unpacked) before they then headed out of the room and down to the porter’s area. The porter was up, though barely so it seemed, and he merely accepted their key and their paper denoting previous payment before shooing them off. “Charming fellow,” Ted said dryly as they exited the Saloon-Hotel and John chuckled softly, “M’afraid there’s worse people than him in the world, Ted. Trust me; I’ve been on the wrong side of most of ‘em.”

They headed across the road to a small dining establishment, getting served a very hearty breakfast (“This is good, ‘cause chances are we ain’t gonna be able to stop too long for lunch, and Bone Orchard is a long way off from here,”) which both ate with a ravenous manner that surprised them both. Ted insisted on paying, even though John vehemently tried to rebuff what he saw as charity—until Ted informed him that it wasn’t charity, and that he and his friends back home often took turns paying for meals they shared together. Mildly cowed John accepted the free meal with gracious thanks, determined that next time they were eating some establishment’s food then he would treat Ted. Once the bill was paid they went to collect their horses.

 

The animals had been tended to it seemed and John exhaled a breath, “Well, that’ll save us a job,” he patted Hustle’s neck affectionately and the horse gently butted his shoulder as though asking, ‘where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting!’ and Ted smiled slightly; he had a good rapport with Penny, but she didn’t seem as, well, /fond/, of him as Hustle was of John. Climbing onto his saddle once he had it attached (and wincing minutely at lingering pain in his shoulder) Ted then gently clicked Penny’s reins and then led her forward in a gentle walk, John moving into position besides him. “John, I’m curious,” he started, John cocking his head in response, silently inviting the other to continue, “Where did you get your horse’s name from?”   
a smile touched John’s lips, his expression rather nostalgic.

“Hustle, Loyalty and Respect,” he listed each word, “Three things that I live by in my everyday life and dealings, and this little statement has saved my life more times than I can count.” Ted sounded the words to himself quietly, thinking that there was something rather profound and powerful about them, “Two of my brothers actually named their horses Loyalty and Respect,” he patted Hustle’s neck, “They came from the same sire as ol’ Hustle here, and we were given them as a bulk gift by a grateful old gent who my mother had helped a lotta years ago, back when I was younger than even you.” He was a pretty old horse by standards, but Hustle had more determination and stamina than any young stud a third of his age.

“Seems like we can be expectin’ a storm sometime today,” John mused absently as he looked up at the oddly cloudy sky; though there seemed no indication of rain the air was heavy and muggy and the humidity was already bringing perspiration up on his skin. “Seems like… let’s hope we can beat it, huh?” Ted murmured, not liking the thought of riding through rain and thunder and God-only-knew what else. Nodding his head John gave a soft whistle and then started to move Hustle as a somewhat swifter pace. By his calculations they would reach Bone Orchard by nightfall, meaning they would apparently catch up to Randy and his buddies, but if the weather turned against them then they would probably be set them back on their plans to an unfixable degree.

~:~

Evan was damned glad they’d stopped to set up camp when they had – the horses hadn’t had nearly enough rest during their brief stop in the last town and he’d been hoping to catch some real sleep himself. A room over the saloon would have been better, but if he fell to complaining every time they slept outdoors he’d never stop. Randy found a spot he called suitable, near a small grove of trees and a natural dip in the earth that had caught rainwater. It was slightly low judging by the marks left on the side, but would serve for the horses to drink from and the rest of them to wash in. They ad fortunately filled their water canteens the moment they entered town, knowing from experience that waiting was unwise. If they had to take their leave more suddenly than they had anticipated then water was a bad thing to be without. 

They fell into their usual routine when they made camp – Cody headed away from them to shoot some food, Randy started up making a fire, refusing to let anyone watch how he did it so quickly (Evan suspected that the occasional smoker had a good supply of matches and was just showing off) while Evan tended to the horses. He led them to the water hole, where they drank willingly enough for a while, before removing their bridles and saddles and securing them to a tree. Venom gave him a rather thoughtful look as she always did when he did this job; he always thought she looked as if she was deciding if she should eat him or if it would be too much trouble. She tolerated the attentions of others, but no one had ever been able to ride her except Randy. 

That done, he headed back to where Randy was getting the fire going, hearing the faint crack of a gun in the distance and instinctively checking for his own weapon, although he knew that it would only be Cody. He’d probably gotten them a rabbit or a gopher; it was the middle of the night and they needed to sleep, to kill anything larger would only be a waste. 

Cody expertly skinned and butchered the rabbit (and Evan had to fake interest in his own thoughts, he was not squeamish by any stretch of the imagination, but he’d had a pet rabbit back in the dim and distant days of his childhood and although he never turned down a portion it was the one thing he just couldn’t stand to observe) and they used sticks to cook the meat over the fire before eating it rare and settling down. The heat of the fire meant that Evan was able to roll his jacket up as a pillow, lying curled on his side and trying not to think about what would happen in Bone Orchard – because he was sure that Jericho would recognise them. And he probably wouldn’t be the only one.

Two years before, Bone Orchard had only been a place on the road to stop for awhile. They had not progressed to bank robberies at the time, although it was something that they had discussed more than once and were pretty much in agreement that it lay in their future – they just needed a plan, the push to go from talk to action. They had however not lived by the law, roaming from place to place to hide from the people they had wronged, and there were a lot of them. There was many a business that had been impossibly robbed, the perpetrator apparently getting in through the roof and leaving through the front door, or letting his accomplices in through that route. They hadn’t really needed much cash in the main, but were well aware of the limitations such a lifestyle was putting upon them. 

The plan had been to spend the last of their money in the saloon and perhaps see if there was enough left for a lone room out of the weather – it had turned cold. Instead they had ridden into a near-warzone and only bloody-minded pride had kept them there. What had impressed Evan about the place was the way the Mayor had offered them restitution for their services without a qualm or a lot of bluster, realising the situation was something he couldn’t handle alone and wise about the best way to handle it. And handle it they had, with the Mayor himself mucking in to help them out, although Randy had been very sceptical about ever getting the payoff. The Mayor hadn’t reneged on the promise though and the last time they had been in Bone Orchard, the three had been flush with money and giddy with success. Randy and Cody had been living it up, barely having to pay for their own drinks and with young ladies of dubious morals hanging on their every word. Although Evan knew that the fairer sex was not the preference of either, they were unlikely to turn down every offer and he doubted that either would be sleeping alone. 

He personally hadn’t intended to either. 

The Mayor hadn’t shown at the quasi-celebration, not that Evan had really expected him to, and Evan personally disliked the loss of equilibrium that occurred when he drank to excess. It wasn’t that though that led him to make some excuse about heading for the outhouse and then slipping away unseen. He had walked down the street toward the area where the nicer houses were (not that there were very many of those), a long way from the two-and-three room shacks that were common among the workers. There was a light coming from the downstairs of the two-storey building that was the Mayors home and Evan could have easily have walked up to the door and knocked without the worry of waking anyone – but the impish part of him that so often pulled the kind of stunts that had his friends rolling their eyes in disbelief wondered, where was the fun in that?

He had scouted the house in the darkness, soon learning that there was a smallish balcony on the second floor. Most people would have said it was impossible to climb to, but Evan wasn’t most people and it didn’t even occur to him that he might not be able to do it. Once up there, breaking into the place was easy. The criminality of his actions weren’t even a consideration, all he felt was a slight rush of pride at getting in the place undiscovered.

Or not. His eyes adjusted to the darkness long enough for him to realise he was in a rather sparse but clearly used bedroom and take a few steps forward when the door swung open and the Mayor stepping inside, holding the lantern that Evan had seen illuminating the downstairs. Knowing who it was, Evan hadn’t gone for his gun but the Mayor hadn’t taken that same risk, holding his own weapon in his free hand but pointing it at the door. 

Even caught, Evan didn’t feel much in the way of remorse. “”Holdin’ the light like that, you’d be a pretty easy target if I were holdin’ a gun on you, Chris.”

Jericho shrugged, setting the lantern on a table beside the bed. “When I realised there was someone climbin’ the back of the house like a cat, I figured it had to be you. I’ve seen some of the things you can do.” He looked back at Evan rather solemnly, blue eyes seeming a little wary. Both Randy and Cody had blue eyes, but it occurred to Evan (and not for the first time either) that he’d never seen a shade quite like that on anyone else. 

“What are you doin’ here Evan?” he asked rather abruptly. “Would’ve thought you’d be whoopin’ it up with the others down at the saloon.”

Evan felt his confidence unexpectedly crack. He hadn’t allowed himself to think that the outcome would have been anything other than what he wanted or else he would never have been able to bring himself to this place, but it occurred to him that he might have made a mistake. 

Not that he showed how he was feeling. Instead a grin split his face as he tried to channel some of the confidence that his two best friends always seemed to show in these situations. “I’m not much of a drinker. And none of the girls in the place are really what I’m lookin’ for.”

Jericho raised an eyebrow and Evan was sure he saw the ghost of a smile on his face, emboldening him to continue. “I saw the way you was lookin’ at me and I’m pretty sure you noticed the way I was lookin’ at you. Tomorrow I’m gone, we all are, but tonight? I’m all yours... if you want me. And no one’s ever gonna know a thing about it.”

Chris shook his head. “Bold little bastard, aren’t ya?” 

For a moment, Evan had been horribly sure that he’d screwed up and the best he could hope for was to be thrown out and have to crawl away to deal with his humiliation – and then he saw that the faint smile on Chris’ face had widened. Chris dropped the gun beside the lantern and headed over to Evan, Evan meeting him half-way across the room and a moment later their lips met for the first time, causing an unexpected and unforeseen shock of lust to course throughout Evan’s body...

Sighing, Evan rolled onto his other side and tried to take his mind off what had been the best night of his life to date. And the best morning too, since he’d known that neither of his friends would be up to rising until late afternoon. He’d never wanted to leave – but he’d also known that to do anything else would be both ditching his friends and putting Chris into some serious trouble. There were people that could get away with that kind of lifestyle by living in secret and most turned a blind eye to it, but the Mayor of town was not one of them. And what had started out as a seemingly minor infatuation with the handsome, suave older man had become his fondest memory, his deepest regret and one of the few things he had not shared with his friends. When he had met up with a somewhat bleary Randy and been joined about fifteen minutes later by an equally hung-over Cody, neither one had been in any state to notice that Evan was far quieter than normal. 

He had thought that the memory of Chris would be the only thing he had left of the man – only it seemed now that he was actually going to be seeing him again. He wasn’t at all sure how he felt about that, now that they had gone from petty criminals to wanted men.

~:~

Ted looked up at him with nervous but trusting eyes. “Is it – will it hurt?”

Cody traced an idle pattern over his chest, smiling at him rather wickedly. “Maybe a little, at first. But I’ll take care of you Ted – do you want me to?”

Ted nodded without hesitation and Cody grinned, leaning over Ted and kissing those incredible lips, naked torsos pressing together...

Cody shifted position irritably, trying to get his mind somewhere else. What the hell was wrong with him? He hadn’t been able to get his mind from Ted Smith since they’d left him behind in that town almost a week ago. Even just walking into the bank where they had taken him from, he had almost blown the whole thing because he wanted to stop and stare, maybe flirt a little – Cody was well aware that people didn’t approve of such tastes but then again he was an outlaw in the eyes of society already and who he chose to share a bed with should be the least of that. 

Of course, it was unlikely that Ted would have gone for that kind of thing, given that he was clearly a nicely brought up young gentleman and there was no way that Cody would ever do anything to force his attentions on another person – but then again, on the occasions where their eyes had met he thought he had sensed something...

Exactly what Ted’s position in the town had been was something that he had mulled over on several occasions. He didn’t work in the mine, that much was certain. More likely he was some kind of supervisor or perhaps a worker for the mine owner who dealt with the less physical side. Certainly well off, whatever he did. Cody closed his eyes again, thinking back to that robbery (as opposed to his mind being on the looks he had exchanged with their hostage and the times he had gotten to smack that frankly biteable ass). He was almost certain that Ted had been in to make a deposit, since he had appeared to be leaving when Randy levelled the gun at him and there hadn’t been that much money on him when they had taken him.


	4. Chapter Three: At The End Of A Long, Long Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys arrive in Bone Orchard, and some of the locals are introduced as a party is planned

“Getcher ass up, Randy,” the voice was coming from his side and Randy swatted at it with one of his large hands before rolling onto his back and flinging an arm over his eyes. Rolling his eyes at their leader (who was the lead only to Cody when it came to not getting up in a morning unless Evan kicked him a couple of times) Evan then shifted and straddled Randy’s waist, “Hey,” he poked the other’s cheek, “Randy. Rand. Rannnddddyyyy—“Randy moved his arm off of his eyes and squinted up at Evan with a trademark expression of irritation before then smirking a little, “My, my Ev, if you wanted some /attention/ then you should’ve woken me sooner…” he playfully grasped Evan’s thighs and the smaller man blushed before smacking Randy’s hands lightly, “Piss off, Rand. Now get up.” On that note Evan got off of Randy and moved to Cody.

Sighing, Randy pushed himself into a sitting position, watching as Cody seemed to be trying to hide underneath his jacket to escape Evan attempting to wake him. A small, fond smile touched his lips for the briefest of moments as the pair began to bicker good-naturedly, thinking that he was pretty damned lucky to have pals like those two. He sincerely doubted that any other men would have become as good a friend to him the way that Evan and Cody had, and he knew that he would probably have been swinging from a gibbet many, many moons ago were it not for them; they had his back in every situation and he liked to think that he had their backs in return. Damn Evan though, the damn minx… Randy scowled down at his groin.

It wasn’t his fault it’d been a long time since he’d last been able to get a warm willing body in his bed. Though being wanted men did appeal to some, in terms of sexual appeal, the fact that they had to keep moving meant that they weren’t afforded enough time to really linger in an area. Besides… he wanted a partner who could take what he wanted to give, not some delicate woman.

By this point the three men were heading down to the water-hole, letting their horses drink as they washed themselves down and changed, making sure that their camp-fire was totally extinguished; it never did to be sloppy, especially now Randy knew that they were being tailed by Sheriff Cena. Encourage the chase though he would, he didn’t want to make it /too easy/ for the man, because that was no fun at all. “Ready boys?” he asked as he adjusted Venom’s saddle, stroking her neck before he kicked himself onto her back with ease and skill, “We’ve still got another day’s worth of travelling between here and Bone Orchard.” Evan’s hands reflexively tightened around his horse’s reins.

“Here, I was thinkin’,” Cody started as they began to guide their horses forward in the usual mild-mannered walk, “What if Jericho tries to make trouble fer us?” the man didn’t really have much right to do so, considering all the help they had given him, but two years was a long time and their criminal status had increased by that point. “I don’ think he will,” Randy said with his usual confidence, “And if he does… maybe we can persuade him to be a little more hospitable.” Evan tipped his hat down a little at those words, something about it just ringing with an intimate truth to him even though he would swear on his horse that neither man had known exactly what had gone down between he and the Mayor those two years previous. “Yeah, guess you’re right,” Cody chuckled low in his throat.

~:~

In retrospect he and Ted had managed to get a good way through on their journey without the storm bothering them. Actually, it had seemed that the storm had been going down so they continued on their way instead of stopping off as John had suggested. However, this would soon turn into a tactical error because the storm hit them when they were several hours from Bone Orchard… and the sun was beginning to set early. Grinding his teeth together as the light rain began to pick up John pushed his hat tighter onto his head and then called to Ted over the growing wind, “We’re gonna have no choice but the go fer it, Ted! If we find somewhere safe t’stop off on the way then we should use it, but otherwise we’re gonna be sittin’ ducks like this!”

Ted called back an affirmative, tightening his hold on Penny’s reins as much as possible given that the leather was already slippery and wet, meaning that the saddle was becoming equally dangerous; he’d much rather /not/ take another tumble from a horse again /ever/, and so he locked his feet into the stirrups as much as possible and urged his mare forward. Understandably she was becoming skittish, never having been used so much in consecutive days, or in such weather before. “It’s Ok, Penny,” he tried to assure the animal, but she didn’t seem to calm very much. Hustle, obviously used to such weather and urgency, didn’t seem anywhere near as nervous as Penny, heeding John’s unspoken commands.

The pair of them started galloping through the driving rain, their hats providing little protection for their faces, mud kicking up around them underneath their horses’ hooves as the dusty ground became wet and unstable, the horses skidding now and again although mercifully neither of them fell. There had been every chance that they could end up running into some unknown ditch, or ridge, but they passed their halfway mark with little incident. John urged Hustle forward, keeping an eye on Ted out of the corner of his eye; the sooner they got to Bone Orchard the better, because if they didn’t get out of their wet clothes and into something warm then they would get sick; real sick, real fast.

Tremors wracked Ted’s frame as his sodden clothing began to stick to him like a second-skin, the brim of his hat folding down after a while and sending more water gushing down over him as the water which had collected inside the rim became too great for the material to handle. Thunder boomed overhead, making him jump, though it wasn’t until lightening attacked the ground some distance away that panic finally got its claws into him.

They had to reach the town. They /had/ to get there. The rain seemed like it would never end and it was almost as though they were running in place, the landscape around them barely changing—or if it did change it was impossible to see because of the rain. Ted could sense before long that Penny was tiring, they having been travelling for god-knows how long by this point, but then suddenly a triumphant call sounded from his side and Ted turned his head towards John. His companion looked back at him, gesticulating with a large hand, “Look!” he shouted over the din of mother nature as she tried to secure them in her turbulent embrace.

There, in the distance, looming out of the ground like some sort of mirage of hope was the town that Ted assumed was Bone Orchard. The name itself didn’t inspire much confidence in him but right then Ted thought he’d never considered a more beautiful place to be. John’s jubilance was infectious and Ted found himself giving a rather ungentle-manly whoop of his own as they spurred their horses into completing that final stretch. Little did they know, mere metres behind them and from another direction, rode three similarly relieved men who also looked as though they’d been swimming in a ravine as opposed to riding in the desert.

And, the true irony would make itself known around sunset when the rain finally stopped; the following morning, after both John and Ted, and Randy, Cody and Evan had all recovered in their separate hotels in their temporary rooms, it would appear as though it hadn’t rained at all. 

~:~

“Damn…” John shivered as he shrugged into the warmest nightclothes he had, placing his things with Ted’s over the fire to try and dry them out, “I ain’t seen rain that bad for a long time now,” he confessed and Ted stopped from his actions of towelling his hair dry to look across to John, “I don’t recall seein’ a rainfall that strong as long as I’ve been alive!” He placed his towel with the clothes that were drying and shivered as he moved over to the bed. The hotel had only been able to give them a double-room because they were overbooked and the two men figured that it would be pointless to fuss; they were tired and hungry and just wanted to sleep somewhere with a roof over their heads.

“D’yeh mind which side of the bed you sleep on?” John asked as he stood beside it, Ted looking puzzled momentarily before realising that John was attempting to be courteous, apologising unnecessarily because the hotel hadn’t been able to provide them with single beds. Waving a hand in reassurance Ted said, “I can sleep either side, don’t worry.” God, if his parents could see him now, innocent motives or not, they would all probably have conniptions. Suddenly, the thought of Cody being the one to share the bed with him flashed through his mind and he hastened into the bed and made a show of adjusting the pillow and covers so that John couldn’t see that he was blushing; /where had that thought come from? He shouldn’t be thinking like that!/  
Getting into the bed on the opposite side John then settled down and then blew out the lamp on the bedside table. They gave one another quiet goodnights before they then settled down to sleep. Unsurprisingly after the day they had had they both dropped to sleep easily, lingering chill causing them to shift backwards towards one another to try and take more heat from one another’s bodies. In the hotel several streets away meanwhile, there was a scuffle going on for a space in the big bed, the potential loser of the scuffle going to be the one who was sleeping on the floor. “I slept on the damn floor last time!” Evan growled, diving into Cody’s side and trying to push him off of the bed completely.

“But you take up less room than me or Randy!” Cody protested, which had Evan growling and grinding his teeth, “I think you’re makin’ our little puppy mad,” Randy snickered from where he was lain out on one half of the bed already, and Cody and Evan looked to one another in the same movement. Not a word was passed between them but Randy suddenly found himself hanging head-first off of the bed, trying to get himself free of Evan and Cody, “Ya little fuckers!” he was growling, but there was a part of him that was trying not to laugh; oh, he had taught these boys well, they knew the score when it came down to it.  
There was a heavy thud as Randy was finally removed from the bed and the undergarment clad Cody and Evan dove underneath the covers, sending the third partner deceptively innocent looks. It was amazing how angelic and sweet those two appeared minus the outlaw gear and hats and bandanas, Randy knowing that he never looked innocent no matter how hard he tried to do so. Though the other man pretended to glower and growl at them for a little bit they all soon were squished into the bed; none of them felt especially awkward about it because they had been through far too much and seen too much together to consider something as mundane as sharing a bed, dressed, as awkward.

As Randy and Cody nodded off to sleep, the day’s journey and the added pressure of the storm meaning they were worn out. Evan couldn’t deny he was also exhausted, but whenever he closed his eyes he saw himself sneaking into Chris’ window as that even younger, brazen man who hadn’t even considered the possibility of failure in his endeavours, the older blonde man who had completely flipped his world upside down (more than once, too) like he was watching the scene from an outsider’s perspective over and over again.

It wasn’t until midnight when Evan finally found himself falling asleep, subconsciously seeking the warmth of Cody’s body in between his and Randy’s own. When morning rolled around there would be some playful ribbing as arms and legs were untangled, joking innuendos given, the humour only calming when they had all readied for the day and dressed before heading down to check out the local grub and Saloons, intrigued to see if the old town had changed any in their absence.  
Chris Jericho decided to take a break, as so many of the group had decided to do – one would never have known there had been a torrential downpour given that the skies were currently blue and cloudless, but it had done plenty of damage to certain areas of Bone Orchard, so named because of the layout of the area some twenty or thirty years previously. There had been a town to the East sprung up almost overnight surrounding a river that had turned up several small nuggets of gold. Always a superstitious breed, the prospectors had buried the dead some three miles to the West in a makeshift cemetery that they had referred to as the Bone orchard. The gold rush had turned out to be a false hope but ranchers, trappers and farmers had discovered that the land was somewhat better to the West of the burial area and settled there. The name given to the area had stuck in spite of attempts and protests at having it changed and Chris had to admit, he rather liked the name. 

The rain of the previous night had caused a flash flood, not to mention property damage and Chris, who wasn’t the kind of man to stand back and sympathise from a distance, had been out at first light to give his assistance. It was backbreaking work, but he rather relished the chance to do something physical rather than the usual bull that came along with his position. He had become Mayor of the town almost by default and hadn’t realised just how much of the job involved planning and busymaking. It made a change to be doing something genuinely useful with the rest of the town but after three hours of it, he needed to take a drink and sit down for five minutes. It seemed that everyone else had the same sort of idea, but apart from some friendly exchanges, for the most part people were conserving breath and talk for when they got going again. 

Sitting at the foot of a tree and leaning his back against it, he took a long swig from the canteen and watched the sky for a while. He liked his little town, although sometimes he got impatient with the minutiae of his Mayoral duties. It didn’t seem to attract much of a troublesome element either... the exception to that being shortly after he had taken over as the Mayor. And that thought led neatly to thoughts of Evan, who in reality was never too far from his mind.

God, but the man had been incredibly bold, Chris remembered with a fond smile that would have shown anyone paying attention to him that his mind was miles away from what he was doing right then. Probably foolhardy too, considering he might well have shot him and neither Randy nor Cody would have been any the wiser until he’d been able to cover it up or take care of them as well. But that had been Evan all over, going with his heart where ever it led him and with little or no regard for ill consequences. In the short time he had known Evan before the man had climbed in through his bedroom window, he had been paying close attention to the smallest of the trio and he was an observant man by nature, more so when it would concern his own or the towns well-being. Evan took risks but he was a long way from stupid. He occasionally used words that would have been outside the knowledge of the typical farmhand or used the grammar patterns that Chris tended to associate with the educated, although infrequently enough that most people wouldn’t have noticed. He could read better than most people Chris knew as well and that was something he wouldn’t normally have associated with a man who was as obviously at home on a ranch or on the plains as Evan was. He was a paradox and Chris would have loved to know what made him that way – but it wasn’t as if they’d had much time for personal talk. 

Most men would have balked at the thought of displaying any feelings for another man, but not Evan – even if he had left it until his last night in town, when his friends would not know that he was even trying. And what a night it had been. There wasn’t a day that went by when Chris didn’t think about how that had been; the way Evan’s body had been gradually revealed to him in the dimming light from the lantern, how unafraid of showing his pleasure he’d been, the sheer passion that he’d shown. Chris had been with maybe a handful of men over the years and had found that for the most part, they had been guilty about their desires both before and afterward, scared of showing anything and trying hard to keep quiet for fear of discovery, the mood transferring itself to Chris from them – but Evan had been just the opposite, no guilt there at all. He’d revelled in the sensation of their bodies together and just laughed when Chris had called him completely insatiable, straddling the blonde and turning him on all over again. 

“Not falling asleep on us there Mister Mayor, are you?” The teasing voice cut through Chris’ thoughts, unmistakable in a large part because of the accent. There was only one man in the whole town who spoke like that. 

Chris blinked his eyes open, barely aware that he had closed them in order to get a clearer picture of Evan’s features and looked over at the speaker with a grin. “Nope, just restin’ my eyes,” he returned, hoping he didn’t look like he couldn’t cut actual physical activity. Just because he didn’t do the same kind of work as most of the others in the town did all day didn’t mean he wasn’t able to! 

“You looked like you was someplace else is all.” Wade rose from where he’d been sitting, resting his hands on the small of his back and stretching. “Guess we’d better get back to it if we want most of this done come nightfall.”

Chris nodded, getting up himself and grabbing the hammer he’d been using. The air was filled with the sounds of hollers and hammering from the other businesses and domiciles making up for the property damage done – Chris was actually proud to be in a place where practically everyone in town was helping out in some way. Those who had suffered a problem were fixing up their own places, those who had been luckier (or better prepared) were helping their neighbours. Chris had never seen a rainfall like it before and most of the damage had come from rapidly gathering puddles weakening structures or worsening pre-existing problems. But it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a hurry. He, Wade and two other men were repairing the roof of the two-room schoolhouse, which Chris had to ruefully admit probably would have needed attention within the month anyway given how quickly it had succumbed to the weather. 

Climbing the ladder back to the roof and moving over so that Wade was better able to join him, Chris took a moment to examine the town and the bustle going on. In the distance he could see the faithful milling around the small church on the outskirts of where the graveyard that gave the town its name was, apparently a clean-up job rather than real labour since most seemed to be ladies. On the main street, the courthouse/ jail had suffered a little but not too badly and was considered not to be a priority – it was rare that they had many criminals to try. The previous sheriff had been shot during the trouble two years ago and his replacement didn’t have to work very hard, which in Chris’ opinion was probably a good thing considering his limitations. But he was a good and fair man who could usually manhandle a raging drunk when the need arose and that was good enough for Bone Orchard. 

There was little conversation as the two men hammered rough planks of wood into place and laid out tar-paper over that, but it was not an uncomfortable silence by any means. Wade began to hum under his breath and then sing snatches of some tune and Chris almost grimaced. Wade was a pleasant enough guy but damn, he couldn’t hold a tune. “Seems like the whole town turned out to get this place back in order,” he commented, mostly to get Wade to stop butchering the song. 

Wade didn’t answer right away, although he did stop singing and Chris thought for a moment he had nothing to add to the comment. “Not everyone,” he said eventually. “There’s no one here from the Helmsley place.”

That was true and Chris had noticed it, but hadn’t really wanted to comment. “Perhaps they’re fixin’ up their own homestead.”

Wade laughed, polite but disbelieving. “The way that place is built, a hurricane could blow through town and it’d still be standing. They don’t have cattle, so they’re not chasing them around. And the stables are the same as the house. They’re not here because they don’t wanna be here.”

Chris sometimes forgot that Wade was sharper than he sometimes appeared to be. He had arrived in the town some six months after Evan had left it, decided he liked it there and set up home, opening a saloon that most were a little sceptical about – there were already two in town and although there were close to a thousand people in Bone Orchard, a number of those were either ladies (and no lady would dream of setting foot in a drinking establishment because of the damage it would do to their reputation) or lived far away from the main street, their drinking done in their homes and the booze coming from their personal still. But Wade had quietly prospered. Chris had asked him why he had settled in their town rather than one of the larger cities, a question Wade had considered with his customary intent. “The view,” he’d said eventually, expanding to say that in the North of England where he was from, he had lived in a town filled with factories and people, crowded and drab. “I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of all the open space,” the Englishman had said, seeming a bit embarrassed by the admission. But Chris thought he understood what the man meant. Wade was vague about his past and how he’d come into enough money to buy the saloon and start up the business with only minimal aid from the bank (who would never trust someone who hadn’t been in the town a lot longer than Wade had) and a part of Chris suspected that it hadn’t come from strictly legal means. But he wasn’t going to badger Wade about it, or go digging into his past. As far as Bone Orchard was concerned, he was an upstanding citizen. 

The Helmsley’s though, they were a different matter. They had a few acres on the outskirts of town, had built there before moving in some six months previously. They clearly had money but didn’t mix with the townsfolk too much and the man of the house was not shy about telling people to back off and mind their own business when it came to questions. Chris had heard rumours but took them all with a pinch of salt. What he did know was that they were rich and they were secretive, that the husband walked around like his shit didn’t stink and on the rare occasions that Chris had seen him, he had turned to the Mayor with an oddly amused glint in his eyes. Like he expected that things would be changing and Chris Jericho was about to get the shock of his life. Chris, who had been through enough shocks in his life, doubted it. 

Wade grabbed another nail and started work again with much more know-how than Chris had so far shown. Even before most of the town started doing repairs Wade had been out clearing things from the main street and righting the heavy horse trough that was outside his saloon, but Chris wasn’t surprised that he had been able. Wade was a giant of a man. 

“I’ve heard some talk about the Helmsley’s,” Wade said, rather quietly. Chris knew that Wade didn’t tend to gossip much but many people in town were uneasy and troubled about the new people for no reason that anyone could put their fingers on. “Her daddy apparently is an oil millionaire—“Both men considered how sweet that must be and if there was any way they could make their own fortunes that easily. “And her husband works for him. What kind of work they’re doing out here in Bone Orchard is anyone’s guess.”

Chris nodded slowly, apparently still thinking of his work but actually debating what Wade had told him. That would explain where the money for the grand house, acreage and staff (brought with them and not hired locally) had come from. Wade had a point though; there didn’t seem to be any point in settling in their small town rather than some city with more to recommend it to the rich. It was a puzzle, but Chris was sure it would all come out in the open in the end. Whether or not he liked what was revealed remained to be seen. 

“Suppose business was slow last night, what with the rain and all,” he said, in a change of subject when it seemed that Wade had no more to add on the topic of the Helmsley’s. 

Wade chuckled, putting down his hammer a moment to crack his knuckles. “Most people didn’t want to go home, so it wasn’t too bad. And had a couple of strangers come in during the storm, half-drowned and searching for rooms.”

Chris mis-judged the swing he was making with his hammer and pulled his hand out of the way just in time to avoid looking a total fool. Damn, but Bone Orchard was a growing town and he’d just have to get used to people arriving. Strangers did not automatically mean that Evan had returned. He would have imagined that in two years, Evan was many miles away from town – and there was always a possibility that Chris found nudged into his mind on occasion no matter how much he tried to get rid of it; that one of Evan’s risks simply hadn’t paid off and the man was dead. If that was the case, he was better off not knowing and living with the thought of the man being out there somewhere, still riding the plains with his friends in tow. 

“Strangers?” he asked casually, hoping that Wade hadn’t thought his behaviour odd. Or the question; Bone Orchard was on a route to the border and they had their fair share of people stopping for the night and leaving the very next morning, never to be seen again. But he never could help the flare of hope when someone mentioned there was someone new in town. 

If Wade thought he was being strange, he didn’t show it. “Two men. One guy—“he held his hands about a foot away from either shoulder to mime broadness. “The other one, not so much. Blond. Enough bags with them, making a long trip somewhere. I gave ‘em a room upstairs.” Like many saloon and tavern owners, Wade made use of the space afforded by the building to add an upstairs and rent rooms to travellers. 

Chris gave a noncommittal nod, trying not to be disappointed. Two men, not three, and neither one seemed like one of Evan’s gang from the description. He’d really have to stop thinking this way. Evan was like a tumbleweed, once he blew out of town he was gone for good and Chris should have accepted long before that he’d never return. But he’d never been able to stop hoping. Shit. Still hung up over a man he’d spent one night (and one morning) with two years before. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.

“I was thinkin’” he said idly. “Since most of the town turned out to give their neighbours a hand, we should lay on a band or somethin’ this evenin’. Give folk a chance to let their hair down.”

“Bend their elbows?”

“That’s your business barkeep, not mine.”

“I think it sounds like a fine idea,” said Wade cheerfully, perhaps at the chance to improve business. “Throw the whole town a party!”

“Not a party, just a band. The way the sun’s beatin’ down right now, shouldn’t be too boggy underfoot if we set up somethin’ at Farmer’s Field.” Chris considered Farmer’s Field, where any outdoor gathering was held, be it market or celebration. 

“Are you planning to play or are you assisting the sheriffs office?” Wade raised an eyebrow with some slight amusement. “There’s more than two drunken set-to’s and they’re all out of men.”

Chris smirked. “Just keep on sellin’ that watered-down shit you served me the last time I drank in your bar and no one’ll be able to get drunk to start with.”

Wade laughed at the comment, as unfounded as it was, and the two got on faster with the repairs – Chris planning to speak to the men who comprised pretty much all Bone Orchard had to boast music-wise and Wade with the promise of increased business and profit playing on his mind.

~:~

Just in case their notoriety had spread this far afield, or in anyone recognised them, Randy, Evan and Cody decided to lay low for the majority of the morning, and the only time any of them were seen was when they nipped down now and again for a bottle or something, or to flirtingly request something from the dark haired British female who was working behind the main desk. Katie-Lee, her name was, and her brother Paul was the bartender, so he was always keeping a close eye on whoever decided to direct any affection on his baby-sister. She seemed the most taken with Cody, but that wasn’t surprising; Cody knew how attractive he was and he knew how to play it to his advantage, though rest assured neither Randy nor Evan were lacking in the looks department. She agreed to send them up a bath-tub, and gave him a pail which could be heated over the fire so they could have hot water. Bandits they may be but they were /not/ tramps.

Entering the room he was sharing with his two friends he barely flinched as he found Randy and Evan in their undergarments, Evan kneeling on the bed behind Randy and messing with the other’s shoulder. “I still think you shoulda gone to the doctor with it,” Evan was saying and Randy shook his head firmly, “It’s fine, alrigh’? It’s done it since I was a kid, all it needs in a warm rag tied around it for a bit.” Randy, having been riding horses since a ridiculously young age had very sensitive shoulders from all the times he had been travelling long-distance holding the reins, or when he had fallen. Evan always grew concerned when Randy’s shoulder started playing up (heck, he got nervous when any of them had something wrong with them) because if they were ever any less than in peak condition then there was always a chance that they could be collared… and if they were collared then they’d be getting noosed in mere minutes of capture, he knew it.

“If you two are finished,” Cody said, hefting the heavy water jug and emptying a good majority of it into the pail, setting it onto the metal spider-looking contraption that supported it over the fire to allow it to begin to heat. The other men rolled their eyes before Randy then arched a brow, “What’s wrong with yeh, Cody? Yeh’ve been in a bad mood since we had to let go-a blondie…” he said slyly and Cody flipped his friends a rude gesture; they had been picking on him about Ted Smith since day one, and had Cody not been so wrong-footed by his own response to the man then he wouldn’t have batted an eyelash. However, he was much too unnerved but to be anything but sensitive to the topic then, and it was only when Cody all but bit Evan’s head off for some roundhouse comment that had /nothing whatsoever/ to do with Ted that they let the matter go.

After taking a little bit of time to compose himself (which was technically as long as it took to boil the entirety of the jug of water) Cody then placed the water into the bath-tub, Evan then adding some cold and testing it. When he was satisfied with the temperature Cody set the rest of the water in the jug to the side, Evan stripping himself completely and sitting in the curved bath-tub. He sighed in pleasure, head tilting back momentarily; the water felt so good considering that they had had nothing but small brisk washes recently, and that soaking in the downpour was hardly a bath was it? He soaped himself up quickly though and then washed his short hair before exiting the tub and drying off. Randy indicated to Cody that he could go next but Cody merely shook his head and poured a good half of the leftover water into the tub for Randy. The bigger man shrugged and took the offer as it was given, his underwear coming off.

It was a mark of how much like brothers they were that they barely reacted to the sight of one another naked. Sure, they had /done things/ together in the past (not anything major you understand, because they all accepted and understood that there were limits that their friendship wouldn’t be able to endure if they passed them) but they weren’t deeply connected to one another in that intimate sense. Randy had his unnatural fixation with John Cena, Evan didn’t seem to really like anyone (that either of his friends was aware of) and Cody found himself thinking about Ted Smith. It was only when Randy was waving a hand in front of his face that Cody realised their leader had finished in the bathtub and he was now able to use it. Having his own bath Cody dried and dressed and then they worked together to dispose of the tub and its dirty water, taking them down towards the storeroom that Katie-Lee had told Cody about when he had gotten the tub.

As they headed into the bar area, Paul begrudgingly serving Cody as well as his friends, Randy heard some rather excited chatter coming from the small group of men gathered around one of the card tables, “Yeah, ol’ Mayor Jericho’s just gone-told e’rybody abou’ it!” said the first as his companions looked on curiously, the grizzled men exchanging cards and continuing their game even so, “—music and dancin’?” asked a second and then the third nodded his head before reasoning out loud to his companions, “Bound t’be, ol’ Chris likes a party as much as the rest of us.” The three men’s topic changed after a few moments and Randy looked to Evan and Cody, a slow smirk crossing his roguishly handsome face, “Fancy joining the party, boys?” he asked before he downed his drink.

Exchanging a look and a shrug, Cody and Evan both then grinned and downed their own drinks before slamming their three glasses down onto the bar in one movement and signalling Paul. “Sure, why the hell not?” Cody asked; maybe getting a willing body in his bed would take his mind of the body he could only /wish/ would be willing. Ted probably had some beautiful little wife and a damn family tucked away somewhere though and even if they did happen to run into one another again the other’s memories of him would be far from fond, wouldn’t they? Nodding in response to Cody’s rhetorical comment Evan took a sip of his fresh drink though his expression was suddenly a little more sombre than before. /Chris Jericho/. He didn’t know why he was surprised to hear that Chris was still in charge, but he was. 

Suddenly the drink didn’t taste strong enough.


	5. Chapter Four: I Can’t Help But Come Unglued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John gives Ted a surprising explanation as to why he is chasing Randy like he is, before the pair become involved in the politics, gossip and scandalous actions of the town's party.

“What do you think’s goin’ on here?” Ted asked, ducking his head as someone called a sudden warning just in time to avoid being accidentally hit by a plank of wood two men were carrying. “I dunno,” John admitted curiously, catching the attention of a woman with very dark and curly, voluminous hair standing nearby an area where building seemed to be taking place, “Excuse me ma’am, but what’s goin’ on here?” the woman turned to look at him and Ted, giving them both appraising looks before then turning her attention to the area and pointing, “The flood’s destroyed the schoolhouse, so the men-folk are repairing it.” It was amusing how women and men from the same area differed in their articulation of their words. “Oh dear,” Ted said in concern, “I didn’t realise the rain’d been that bad,” he ignored John’s incredulous look.

“It’s pretty rare that we get such a heavy fall out of season,” the woman turned her attention back to them and held a hand out, “My name’s Melina Morrison, who’re you two strangers?” John politely kissed the back of her hand and Ted repeated the gesture, “My name’s John Cena, ma’am, and this here is my friend Theodore Smith,” he caught Ted’s eyes briefly and winked; his identity might be slightly recognisable but Ted would be more at risk if someone knew which family he really came from. Melina didn’t seem to notice their exchange and pointed to a man down on the construction site, “That’s my husband. His name’s John too,” she looked amused and John smiled ruefully, used to sharing his name with many a man. “That there—“she indicated a very, very tall man (John found himself comparing the man to Randy, sure he was bigger even than him and that was no mean feat) with dark hair, “Is Wade Barrett; came outta here from England and owns the Rose Court,” John made the connection, “That’s where we’re staying.”

Melina nodded, “He has a popular business out here, though there’s another English couple that run a hotel further off in Bone Orchard…” the look on her face suggested exactly what she thought of them, before her expression morphed back into her big rouge-lipped smile and then she started to indicate once more, “And the blonde man—oh, speak of the devil!” she waved her hand and called lightly, “Over here, Mr Mayor!” Ted turned his head with interest and noticed a perspiring, flushed and yet oddly composed man heading their way, wiping his brow on a handkerchief, “This here is our Mayor, Chris Jericho,” Melina said, Chris giving her small bow before turning to look at John and Ted. Very closely.

“Howdy,” he greeted finally, extending his hand and giving a friendly smile that seemed genuine and yet didn’t reach his eyes, “It’s not often that we get new people ‘round these parts. Welcome to Bone Orchard, and, as our lovely School-Marm has told you, I’m the Mayor.” John shook his hand first and reintroduced himself— though this time he gave his old title, Melina seeming to gain an even greater interest when she heard it —and then introduced Ted, whilst Ted shook the man’s hand. However, he still used his alias. Watching the men bustling around to repair the damage that had been done by the rainfall John then looked to Chris, “Don’t suppose you need a few more hands do yeh, Mr Mayor?” Chris looked surprised by the offer but then quirked a small smirk; this man was a Good Samaritan through and through, he could see it already. “That’s mighty kind of you, but I think we’re alright here,” John nodded, not the least bit offended by the refusal; he had no reason to doubt it.

“You all seem to be making great progress,” Ted complimented and Chris inclined his head in thanks. “Well, we’re all doin’ our best,” he waved to one man who made some gesture at him, then turning his attention back to the two men. “So, what brings you ‘round these parts?” John’s eyes flickered momentarily to Melina, obviously not comfortable with the prospect of discussing –whatever he wanted to discuss- before a lady. However, before Chris had to find some sort of excuse to send her away, Melina’s husband John Morrison was calling to her and she excused herself before carefully making her way down the slope towards the school. Sighing, John adjusted his re-shaped white hat atop his head, brow furrowing as he thought of how much he could say.

“I’m lookin’ fer some bandits that we suspect ‘re headin’ through the area, perhaps you may’ve heard of ‘em before?” Chris felt his heart giving a few strange skips, momentarily concerned he was having a heart-attack of some description, though he forced himself to calm down; Evan had hardly been a bandit back then, more just a kid up to mischief, but he couldn’t stop the excited hopefulness even if he tried. “I may have, why don’t you try me?” he offered and Ted looked at him a little uneasily before John supposed forewarning the man would be a good idea; things could go down in town if he happened to get his hands on Randy, and he didn’t need to be blocked through lack of explanations. “The Viper, Little One, and “Dashing” Cody.” The names didn’t ring a bell for Chris, except for that final one, but before he could comment John sighed, looking to Ted momentarily.

“Chances were they haven’t come by this part before… I coulda sworn it had been on Randy would be heading this way—“that canteen that was in Chris’ hand jerked slightly and Ted blinked concernedly as the man fumbled, “Are you alright, Mr Jericho?” Chris cleared his throat softly and nodded, composing himself swiftly as he reflexively responded, “Call me Chris. Or, if you must, Mayor.” He knew some people had a thing about not calling him by his title and even though he didn’t consider it mandatory he didn’t comment on it either. “And, yes, I’m fine; sorry, I think the heat’s just getting to me.” Ted nodded, fanning himself slightly with his hand, “I see what you mean—it is getting rather hot isn’t it?” Chris heard someone shouting his name back from the building and said, “Sorry folks, but I’m gonna have to go. I’ll probably catcha sometime tonight though if you come and join the party.”

“Party?” John repeated, but Chris was already walking away and John frowned something; something about the way the man had reacted when he’d said Randy’s name didn’t sit right with him, and he found a strange sense of jealousy welling in his chest… a jealousy that he no right to, no proof for, or a reason to experience. Shaking his head slightly John then looked to Ted, “Well… shall we go find a Saloon to while away the time in?” He’d much prefer if they didn’t spend the entirety of the time in their hotel-room, but there didn’t seem to be too much to go and see outside of those in the town. “Sure,” Ted nodded his head, then biting his lip slightly as he said, “John?”

Turning to look to Ted as they started to make their way back towards their hotel John nodded, indicating that the other could go on, and Ted lowered his voice, “Was it just me or did he act really strangely just now?” John was actually rather impressed; he was used to reading people and so Chris’ slip was obvious to him, whereas someone as green as Ted could have noticed it but missed it for what it really was. “I did,” he nodded in agreement, a serious expression forming on his features then, Ted leaning into him a little to hear as John’s voice went even lower for secrecy even though there wasn’t really anyone near them to overhear. “Maybe if we come and mingle with the crowds we might find something out…”

He looked to his companion and cocked his head, “That alright with you?” Ted nodded, but then realised he might have been too eager in the action and so added on a light and casual, “Yes, sure, if you think it would help.” In truth though, since John seemed to have pinpointed this as the next place that Cody and his friends would show up Ted couldn’t deny that he was really really hoping that was true; he wanted, no /needed/ to see Cody again. There was no logicality in it, no reason, no rhyme, he just knew that he had to see the dashing outlaw again as soon as possible. Though, if he even happened to come into contact with Cody again, he had no idea what he would do or say. He recalled what John had said about hired bounty-hunters and his stomach rolled violently; no-one deserved that kind of fate, bank-robbing outlaw or not.

They headed into a Saloon bar that was shockingly full, John leaving Ted to keep a secluded little table for them, heading to go and get them both a soft drink. The woman behind the bar flirted with him with the same shameless brassness that he had gotten used to as he had gotten older and travelled to new areas, he politely engaging with her only until she had gotten the drinks and then he paid before returning to Ted. Handing the blonde his drink he nodded in acknowledgment of the thanks and asked, “So, Ted,” he mused as he noticed a show-girl eying his companion up, Ted blushing and looking rather lost and uncertain when he caught her eye, “Do you have some nice lil lady waitin’ on you back home?” Ted went even redder at the question, shaking his head and saying, “No, no—I’ve never really had time for that sort of thing.”

That was true, though in reality he had just never been interested… until recently.

~:~

John wasn’t even a little surprised that Ted was single, or that he claimed to have no time as opposed to no interest. He suspected it was the latter that was true though and wondered if anyone else had noticed. Ted had to be considered quite the catch in his home town after all and probably had ladies doing all they could to be noticed by the handsome, rich young man – one of them would have caught his eye, if indeed it were the ladies he was interested in. Given how Ted had determinedly gone for the chance to chase after their prey and seemed unfazed by the conditions it took them into, something he could not be familiar with, he would have put money on Ted’s interests lying in a whole ‘nother gender and not been afraid of losing the bet. 

However, that wasn’t the kind of thing that he would have dreamed of making Ted ‘fess up to in the middle of a saloon, given that he was likely to get defensive; if Ted was making some kind of personal discovery then he was sure it was quite a recent one and probably wasn’t sitting too comfortably right then. Had he not breezed into the bank in the middle of a robbery, Ted might have waited a lot longer to realise why he lacked interest in the fairer sex – John knew it had always rather puzzled him at one point, discovering the reasons behind it had come as something of a relief, even if it meant he was unlikely to find anyone to share his life with (and should he do so openly, could probably forget about keeping his Sheriffs badge longer than five minutes after the discovery). It had been a regretful but clear-cut situation. And then Randy had breezed into his life and suddenly everything he thought he’d worked out had become terribly complicated. 

“How about you?” Ted was saying and it took John a moment to realise that it was a question rather than a statement. “Are you married?”

John paused a moment, then decided to be cryptic but hint a little. He hadn’t been a hundred per cent honest with Ted about several things and he was certain that Ted hadn’t told him the whole truth about everything, but all it might need was the time to build up a trust. And oddly, John thought that he could trust Ted, rich and naive he might be but he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty either and didn’t seem to hold himself superior in the same way that other rich men did. 

“No wife, no fiancé,” he admitted with a slight grin, taking a sip of his water. “Can you see a lady allowin’ her husband to go missin’ for months while he chased some bandit half-way across the West? She’d start wonderin’ what my real motive was.”

Ted regarded him for a moment and John wondered if he were about to start asking questions about just what he meant by that comment. And he was still woefully unprepared when the question came, mostly because of the qualifier. “So, what is your motive John? Are you planning to see them swing for robbery, or are you planning to let them off with a warning?”

John’s hesitation probably told Ted a lot more than John would have liked it to, but there was no turning back as John considered what his reply was going to be. He didn’t want to lie to the man, lies had a way of backfiring, but what the hell was he going to say? That Randy had somehow mesmerised him until everything but him seemed to have no meaning, that he was chasing the other because he didn’t know what else to do? That he couldn’t get the man out of his mind for a moment? Ted would never understand that. 

And then he looked back at Ted and remembered the determined way he had insisted on defying his family’s wishes and chasing after them alongside him with no mention of justice or what he’d like to see happen to them and wondered; would Ted understand the compulsion after all? 

“I don’t know,” he replied in a low voice. “But I have to catch up with them Ted. I don’t want any harm to come to them but the way they’re carrying on, as notorious as they’re gettin’, it might not be too long before some harm does come to them.” He looked Ted in the eye. “How ‘bout you? I haven’t heard you mention bringin’ ‘em in or stringin’ ‘em up and I would’ve thought you wanted that.”

Ted fiddled with his glass, breaking the eye contact. Frowning at the table, he said hesitantly, “Why did you tell the Mayor my last name was Smith?”

John was more than a little confused at the change of subject but went with it. “Your surname’s pretty unusual and just because we’re not in your own town anymore doesn’t mean—“

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Ted gave John a look that managed to be worried, secretive and slightly irritated. “Why did you choose Smith?”

“It was the first name that came to my head. Why?”

“Because that’s what I told them my name was. It was the first name that came to my head too.” 

John’s eyes sharpened as he looked at Ted, who still didn’t return his stare. “I thought you didn’t remember anything.”

“I lied.” Ted smirked slightly. “Why else would I be so convinced that you and I were on the trail of the same people with only vague memories and what you told me to go off? But you already knew that. Not the details, but you knew that I hadn’t told you everything.”

“So why are you telling me now?”

“Because I have no idea why I’ve come out here either.” Ted shook his head, looking more rueful than embarrassed about the admission, although John could detect the faint traces of the emotion beneath the surface. “I didn’t come looking for revenge or payback or whatever...” This time, he met John’s eyes squarely. “And if you decided to take a little of that, I might have some issues with it.”

John raised an eyebrow, knowing a warning when he heard it – but if he had been ready to shoot Randy, then he would have endeavoured to do so back in the last town, when Randy had been distracted and John could have pulled his gun, followed Randy from the outhouse and put a bullet in the back of his head. But that had never been John’s style – and he was sure that there was no way he could have shot Randy from behind. He didn’t know if he’d be able to do it face-to-face either but it was at least more likely. 

Reaching into the pocket inside his jacket, John pulled something out, considered placing it on the table and thought better of it, instead, merely holding it up so that Ted could see. Ted’s eyes widened and he recoiled slightly, just as John had suspected he would. “What the hell is that?”

John stuffed the item back into his pocket. “It’s Randy’s bandana. Was he wearing one durin’ the robbery?”

Ted shook his head. “No – the others were, but he didn’t have one on. Is that – his?”

“Yeah.” John took a sip of his water, suddenly wishing he’d ordered a beer instead. But he could do with having his wits about him. “I don’t know why he didn’t get himself another but I guess he’s superstitious or somethin’.”

“Why do you have it?” Ted’s eyes were fixed on the pocket the bandana had vanished into. “And why is it covered in blood? I can’t even tell what colour it’s supposed to be!”

“Easy there Ted.” John chuckled, although his heart wasn’t in it. “It’s my blood.”

Ted was staring at him, clearly not understanding and slightly horrified, so John elaborated. “I told you about how Randy and his boys robbed the bank in my town and how I got shot by the teller?” Ted nodded and John took a moment to debate how he was going to tell the rest of the story. 

“I hit the ground, blood pumpin’. Figured I was dead. Didn’t have the strength to even try and move, thought those guys’d head on out with the money and the last person I’d see would be Old Alvin, all panicked and guilty. Only that wasn’t what happened. Heard a couple of shouts and the next thing I know, someone’s leanin’ over me. Not Alvin though. It was the Viper. Randy.”

He saw Ted’s complete absorption in his story but barely registered it; he was half-lost in the memory. “He had half his face covered with this bandana, but he yanked it off his face in one move. First time I saw anything other than his eyes. He wads it up and presses it right against the damn bullet wound and it hurt like hell. I think I might have cursed him out, or maybe I just thought I did. His other hand took mine and he moved it so I was holdin’ on to the wound myself, stemmin’ the blood, y’know?” He didn’t add that Randy hadn’t released his hand, that their fingers had been twined while Randy kept up the pressure on him, trying to save his life by causing him some serious pain. Nor did he share what Randy had murmured to him in those seemingly endless minutes, no sign of the man who had held him at gunpoint in an outhouse. Randy had urged him to hold on, that he was stronger than this and he could live – who had stayed with him until the frantic shouts of his associates had forced him away. By that time, John had been clinging to the bandana to aid his own wound, convinced by the Vipers words. 

And they’d left the money. His life had been worth more than that to Randy and he had to believe that meant something. 

“Randy saved my life,” he said abruptly. “So I’m not about to kill him, none of ‘em. That’s somethin’ you don’t have to concern yourself with.”

Ted glanced down at John’s pocket again and nodded. “That’s still pretty gruesome.”

“Probably.” John grinned suddenly. “But I’m out here on a fools errand, chasin’ bandits I’ve no intention of apprehendin’ with a kid I’ve no business takin’ along for the ride. It ain’t the craziest thing I’ve done lately.”

For a moment he thought he’d gone too far but Ted cracked up, laughing heartily and John relaxed slightly. The conversation picked up again, moving away from the topic of their targets but more easy than it had been before. Even if neither one was willing to admit it to themselves, the other at least understood where they were coming from. 

~:~

Chris went back to his home before the band started, wanting to change out of the clothes he’d been working in all day and take a wash before he went out to mingle with the townsfolk. He had been oddly quiet ever since meeting up with Wade’s new customers, not wanting to give himself away – although Wade had noticed that he seemed to have lost his good humour. Chris had blamed it on being tired and that he had yet to learn that the entire town had actually gotten through the floods and rain okay – so many of them worked on the plains that it would be a while before he knew there really were no fatalities. In truth, it was what Sheriff Cena had apparently inadvertently let drop. 

Three bandits. He was after three bandits and one of them was called Randy. Randy had been the name of the leader of the three men he had hired way back when to help him when the townspeople could not. The other two being Cody and Evan. Not that he had to grope for those names, particularly Evan’s. Evan spent a lot of time on the Mayors mind. 

But just because the Sheriff thought there was a good chance that they’d headed to Bone Orchard didn’t mean that they really had. He was guessing. And Chris didn’t like how he’d referred to the men, as if they had progressed from the petty crimes that Chris had always known were under their belt to actual criminals. Had it gone that far? It could have done, Chris had to admit. Given all the factors and the time that had passed, it could have easily gone that far. 

Stripping off, Chris used a sponge and cold water to clean himself, too impatient to bother waiting for the fire to heat the water so that he could take a real bath. He was just as clean if not as comfortable and in truth, he was too agitated to be seated in a bath for any length of time. And there was a good chance he’d just get the water warm, settle down in it and then the door would drag him from it. It happened all the time and then the water was cold when he got back to it. Always some minor problem that people thought it was his job to fix. The Puritans who wanted him to close down the drinking establishments had been on his back so much recently that he expected to see them whenever he looked over his shoulder, but they weren’t the only ones. 

Evan was back. He had no evidence except for what Cena had said, but he felt it in his heart. Evan was back. And what the hell was Cena doing in town looking for him?

Well, it had to be to take Evan and his associates to trial. Or dispense justice without a trial. And Chris was not about to let that happen. He acted as the judge in this town, given that it wasn’t lawless enough to have a full-time judge and he hadn’t sentenced a man to death in his whole time in charge. He wasn’t about to start now, and certainly not with the man he’d shared a bed with. 

Just as he was dragging on clean pants there was a knock at the door and he rolled his eyes. It didn’t occur to him that it could be Evan, he was almost sure that Evan would have used his less conventional route once more and that meant that when he answered the door, shirtless, he wasn’t disappointed. The man on his doorstep was Josh Matthews, the man who ran the local bank... and Chris had the rather doleful feeling this could spell trouble. Perhaps Sheriff Cena had been running his mouth about bandits and robberies and scaring the crap out of the unassuming banker. 

“Come on in Josh,” he said, being on first name terms with most of the town including the ones who called him by his title instead of his name, hustling the smaller man through the door and into the living room. “Hope you don’t mind my informal dress. I was gettin’ ready to watch the band.”

“That’s fine,” said Josh in a distracted tone that showed he’d barely noticed; Chris didn’t know whether to be amused or a little offended. “Mayor, this is probably nothing but I thought I probably ought to mention it.”

“What’s that?” asked Chris, waiting for the news that Cena had been asking questions, him or his friend Smith (and there was no way that Chris would have believed that the younger man was a deputy and was pleased that the man hadn’t tried to make him believe that one at least). It seemed pointless to him although it was true Cena didn’t have the same information he had; he honestly believed that Evan and his friends would not do anything to bring down his wrath while in Bone Orchard. A dangerous vanity perhaps, but one he truly believed. 

But Josh surprised him. “I had Mr Helmsley in the bank earlier and – well, it’s not the towns business but I thought you should probably be aware.”

“Aware of what?”

“He wants to buy out the bank,” said Josh rather bleakly. 

Chris blinked. He wasn’t entirely sure how these things worked, a bank wasn’t like a saloon where one bought merely the building and the right to sell booze. The sheer amount of money that would be involved boggled his mind. “What would that mean, if he did?”

“That anyone wanting to save their money would be doing so under his watch, no big deal there. He’d also buy out all of the banks papers – all the loans and mortgages that people have, all the money that the townspeople owe the bank. He’d be able to demand the money right away if he chose to, and you and I both know that most couldn’t afford it. The interest we charge to loan the money out, he could decide that. Folk could end up paying five or six times what they borrowed if he were that way inclined... and probably I’m just worrying over nothing. He’d still be subject to the law, if you wanted to pull that on him. And I’ve no intention of selling, even though the offer was a good one. More than fair.”

Chris nodded, knowing that Josh had probably considered it given how he was dwelling on the cash. “So theoretically, the bank really owns a lot of the land around here?”

“That’s right. Even the places paid for, well, people have bad years. Borrow money, use their homes as collateral—“ He noticed how Chris’ eyes took on a glaze he was used to when he tried to explain economical workings. “Basically, if they can’t pay, they have to give their homes or businesses back to the bank to make up for it.”

That much Chris did understand, although it was a rare thing to happen in Bone Orchard. “So Helmsley wants to own the bank? Why? I thought their family was in oil?”

“No one ever struck oil in Bone Orchard,” said Josh with a slight chuckle. “Only thing in the ground here is crops and corpses. I don’t know, maybe he wants to have some work goin’ on, given that it looks like they’re settlin’ down here. And I’d better go leave you to get on changin’ for the party.”

“It ain’t really a party,” protested Chris as he accompanied Josh to the door – he threw three or four parties for the whole town during the year in the same place to celebrate various things important to the town, Christmas or other events. This was just a last-minute thank-you. As he opened the door, he realised that there was a man on the other side waiting to knock – one of the Puritans who had taken residence in several farms around the area. He mentally sighed; he bet he knew what this was about and that he’d get a comment about his shirt. 

“See you later Josh,” he said and some malicious little demon within made him add, “at the party. Hello there Mr Slater, how can I help you?”

The man, wearing a wide-brimmed hat to hold off the sun and averting his eyes from the sight of Chris’ bare chest, huffed slightly. “I heard that there’s to be a band in town tonight. ‘Make no music save with the human tongue, sayeth the Lord.’”

Chris had been in this exact position several times and responded as he usually did. “In the church they’ve got a grand organ to play the hymns on.”

“That God-forsaken place!”

“God-forsaken? It’s a church! And one that most of the town go to. As most of the town enjoy a band every so often and it doesn’t make them bad people. In this town people are free to attend your church, that church or none at all, and I won’t stand here and listen to a lecture about why I’m goin’ ta hell because of it.”

“I’m thinkin’ of your immortal soul, and the souls of every man, woman and—“

“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to finish putting my clothes on,” said Chris deliberately. “The Mayor should show up to his own party.”

“Maybe,” said Slater, eyes flashing. “You won’t be Mayor in these parts always.”

“Imagine I’ll get a reprieve when I’m dead,” Chris returned, closing the door in the man’s face, probably not politic but he really wasn’t in the mood to listen. As he changed, he considered how Josh hadn’t truly thought that Helmsley didn’t want the bank as a change of career, trying to work out what it might mean (if anything), but the thought of Evan’s possible return meant that those thoughts were starting to get pushed out. Damn, between one thing and another, life was getting incredibly complicated. That more than anything seemed to suggest that Evan might truly be back in the area – Evan and chaos seemed to go hand in hand.

~:~

That evening, as both Melina and Chris had said, it seemed that the whole town had gone out to hear the group band performing. There was a large open square in the centre of town which seemed to contain a large stage-platform all-year-round (and mercifully it hadn’t been damaged by the rain) and the music was playing away from there. John wanly noted as many of the bartenders had propped the saloon doors open, inviting and coaxing patrons to throw off the old expectations of their establishments and indulge themselves and their sweethearts in a little drink, be it alcoholic or otherwise. Wade was definitely pleased by the steady stream of clientele that he had in his saloon.

However, his attention was drawn from the inspection of business when polite clapping sounded from the surrounding couples and singletons on the makeshift dance-floor; a young (rather young indeed) and stunningly beautiful exotic young man had just moved up to the microphone that adorned centre-stage. Now, coloured folks were not an anomaly in their town, far from it actually, but Wade knew for a fact he had never seen this one before… he knew he’d remember someone that beautiful. And his voice? It was like an angel was singin’ for them all. He was so engrossed that he almost missed when Chris approached him, the blonde man amusedly waving a hand in front of his face, “Wade? Hey, y’alright there partner?” the Brit blinked rapidly a few times and focused upon the man who had been his greatest friend since moving from Jolly Old England and out to The West.

“Yeah, yeah, I was just—“he cut off slightly, eyes on the man on-stage, many couples beginning to dance together to the tune of the jolly melody the coloured and non-coloured band was playing, the sweet voice adding a new dimension to the song. Chris curiously followed Wade’s gaze; he had never seen the other man so struck dumb in all the time he had known him, and when he saw the cause he smirked softly to himself. Wade was notorious for having the attention of many a lady, politely turning them all down even though he’d insisted he had no lady waiting for him back in England. Truthfully Chris had always suspected that his affections might lie elsewhere but it was hardly the done thing to ask was it? “Justin Gabriel,” Chris reported casually, “Just moved to town.”

Clearing his throat softly Wade attempted to adopt a casual air, “Really? Any reason why he’d come out here?” It was pretty out of the way after all, and most folks who didn’t live nearby hadn’t even heard of Bone Orchard until they found themselves walking through it. “Otunga, that coloured fella that runs the material store—“Chris didn’t have any prejudiced against their dark-skin brethren but knew that others weren’t as kind, and that it was just old habit that had him referring to them as such, “—he’s some distant cousin of this kid, wanted him to come on out here with him and his wife. Orphan apparently. From Af-reak-ka.” Of course he knew his pronunciation might not have been totally accurate but he knew that anyone from the area would know he meant the exotic land many coloured people (and only coloured people, mind) seemed to come from.

“That’s terrible,” Wade muttered softly, watching as the young man he now knew as Justin bowed politely to the crowd and then stepped off of the stage to go and obviously join his cousin. “I take it he’s gonna be helpin’ out in the family business then?” David Otunga’s wife was the chief dress-maker they had in the town, many women hastening to secure her services for special occasions, “Yeah, I’d reckon so,” Chris responded, “But you know folks around here: anymore that they can get to give towards their family’s upkeep they’ll gladly take it—“he slyly looked at Wade out of the corner of his eye, “Weren’t you lookin’ for a new barkeep?” the words seemed to startle Wade somewhat and he nodded, “Well, yeah, but fer all we know the kid’ll—“he didn’t get chance to finish, Chris already heading away from him with a wave, “I’ll drop a few hints fer yeh. Try an’ enjoy the party sometime ya miserable wall-flowa!”

Staring after Chris, rather bemused, Wade then shook his head with a wan chuckle, “Busy-body.” He looked over the crowds of people, seeing no unhappy face (except fer the Pilgrims who seemed to making a point to be walking by with their noses in the air and scowls on their faces, but they were always miserable so they didn’t count) and reflecting that he was really lucky to have found this place. Life back in Manchester hadn’t been what he’d expected and Wade had fled abroad rather than face charges for a crime he didn’t commit... someone crying out ‘murder!’ as they pointed their finger at you was something that no man would be able to recover from.

As Wade wrestled with the dark thoughts of his past Chris was weaving in and out of people; many called out to him or acknowledged him in some fashion and he did his best to return the gestures, eyes still circulating for the man he had been intending to speak to. However, the one he happened to catch sight of almost had him tripping over his own booted feet to land in an undignified heap on the ground.

/Evan./

Oh, the face had matured, there was no doubt about that, but Chris would know it /anywhere/-- those wicked lips and sensual eyes had haunted his dreams every night since the man had left, he was unlikely to forget them any time soon. Changing course without thinking about it Chris started to tail the smaller man. It was only when his mind had caught up with him (and he was asking himself just /what the hell was he doing?/) that his quarry turned… and smirked at him.

It was the smirk that did it, Chris immediately quickening his stride. He was well aware that he was probably looking very odd, but the blur of the crowds barely registered with him outside the thought of /Evan/ being there. He had suspected it, Lord, he had even /hoped/ for it—but now he was confronted with the reality he was unable to act logically. He /had/ to get to Evan. He /could not/ let the man out of his sights. Unbeknownst to Chris, as he followed Evan into a side alley that would lead away from the party square, two sets of coolly amused eyes watched the proceedings. “Well, who woulda thunk it?” Randy asked as he chinked his beer-mug against Cody’s, taking a deep draught. “Not me,” came Cody’s response, “Never woulda seen that guy as Evan’s type… I mean, he’s /so old/.” He levelled Randy a sly smirk.

Randy cuffed Cody around the back of the head as the other man ducked, snickering (Randy was sensitive about the fact that he was older than both Evan and Cody) as he righted himself, joking insults and cusses being traded as they allowed themselves to just relax for the first time in an age. There wasn’t a single wanted poster to be found, and although the Mayor had certainly locked his sights onto Evan fast enough neither Cody nor Randy felt there was any danger to it—and that was the only reason they had let the man alone with Evan. Meanwhile, in the empty alleyway, Chris was feeling distinctly disconcerted; where had Evan gone? He could have sworn he--

Ducking suddenly he found himself missing a kick to the back of the head, staring at Evan’s broad, cheeky smirk with incredulous eyes: the little imp had just damn well jumped from a roof and /had attempted to kick him in the head/ on the way down. Though Evan knew his expression and manner would indicate bravado inside his heart was racing; Chris was right there before him again, and though Evan had fantasied about this moment numerous times before (each result becoming wickeder than the last and resulting in him needing to sneak away from their campsites he and his comrades set up in the dead-of-night for a little private time without risking waking the other two) but not that he was confronted with reality he didn’t know what to do. Thinking that his boldness had saved him last time he merely cocked his hips out a little flicking the brim of his hat to expose his eyes as he drawled, “D’yeh always go chasin’ fellas around like this, Mr Mayor?” Chris began to walk towards him, something in the man’s gait undeniably determined and borderline predatory and Evan felt his stomach squeeze with an unfamiliar emotion as he found himself nose-to-nose with the blonde.

“Only when they’re little vixens with come-hither looks-“

A flash of hurt and jealousy went through Evan but he attempted to remain unaffected by Chris’ proximity and the words, “Get a lot of them in the time I was gone, didja?”

Even though the streets were empty he could hardly risk doing or saying all the things he wanted to, to Evan in such a public forum. “It’s been a while…” he tried to maintain an unconcerned air, “How about we go and enjoy a drink at my place? You can fill me in on what mischief you’ve been upto since I last saw you.” Evan arched a brow, surprised by the offer, but nodded his head and fell into step beside the Mayor, “That’s mighty hospitable of you.”

~:~

Ted wouldn’t deny that he found the party rather overwhelming; though the people were not behaving in any raucous or untoward manners he was more used to formal sit-down dinner-parties where everyone spoke quietly and politely, and ladies waved their fans almost as much as their lashes whilst the gentlemen used any excuses they could to leave into the parlour to discuss more /man/ topics away from their wives’ sensitive hearing. Of course most of these parties had consisted of men trying to get an introduction with him with their daughters, but that was so commonplace it barely put a damper on his evenings anymore.

Anyway, this party was certainly freer than that. He could see people dancing in much, well, not /wildly/ but certainly with less poise and seemingly much more enjoyment than Ted had witnessed in the past. He absently tapped his hand on the fence that he and John leant against as the music continued to play, the sweet young dark-skinned man on the stage really complimenting the tune with his voice. John asked him if he fancied a drink and Ted nodded, thanking the other but then handing over the money to pay this time. John seemed wanly amused but then nodded, the Sheriff heading off to the nearest saloon to get drinks for the pair of them.

“Rather enjoyable, isn’t it?” said a voice from behind him suddenly and Ted startled, finding himself confronted by a rather restrainedly smiling lady who appeared to be not a few years older than him. She was rather beautiful, Ted thought, and most certainly dressed in finery, but there was a slight coldness to her eyes that made Ted shiver slightly. “These events happen frequently… mayor Jericho does enjoy himself some pleasantries.” Ted tried not to frown, though there was something in him that was becoming very unnerved by this woman; her words seemed innocently enough but her tone was very ominous, and overall Ted sensed something akin to a deep, harsh disdain directed towards Chris.

“Um…” Ted hastened to find a topic of conversation considering the woman seemed to be looking at him expectantly and Ted asked, “Do you live here, ma’am?” He felt it was a fair assumption; though Bone Orchard wasn’t the poorest area he had seen he hadn’t seen anywhere that could be a home to match the calibre of this woman’s ostensive finery. The chestnut haired female nodded her carefully coiffed curls, then paused and seemed to reconsider, “My husband and I live outside the town parameters.” Ted arched a brow slightly; it took some serious money to buy land itself, let alone to build anything on it. “Have you lived here long?” he asked politely and she shrugged, nose wrinkling, “Long enough.  
”  
Before Ted could ask what she meant by that, or find out the identity of this strange woman, a very broad-shouldered man appeared… and Ted couldn’t help thinking that if this was the woman’s husband then their children would have a very unfortunate genetic code when it came to their noses. However, he managed to keep this thought to himself. The man had long dirty-blonde hair tied into place by a leather thong, and eyes that seemed to look right through him. If his wife had given rather haughty vibes it was nothing compared to the aura this man possessed—when he smiled Ted felt he was looking into the face of a crocodile.

“Good evenin’ sir,” he said politely, the manners his parents having instilled in him since birth winning out. He held a hand out, the man before him merely looking down on it for a few moments before grasping it in a grip that felt too tight to be natural, Ted refusing to cave underneath the pressure. This at least since to garner minor respect from the man and he calmed down enough to give what seemed to be a genuine smile. “Good evening. I don’t believe I’ve seen yah before here son; you new in town?” Ted nodded, though wished that John would hurry up from the bar. What was keeping him? However, before he could awkwardly fumble his way through a an excuse as to why he was visiting Bone Orchard, an arm slung around his shoulders and Ted’s world seemed to shrink as a casual voice drawled, “I leave ya alone fer a few minutes and you go wanderin’ off on me.”  
Attempting not to look as incredulous as he was feeling as “Dashing” Cody made some excuses and comments to the couple before him (they seeming to find the situation mockingly amusing if anything) exchanging goodbyes before they headed off—not to join the party though. So awestruck and wrong-footed was he that Ted didn’t protest as Cody drew him back from the crowds somewhat, the bandits warm breath on his ear sending shivers down his spine, “Looks like we meet again, Mr Smith.”

~:~

John wouldn’t have taken so long at the bar had it not been pretty packed in the saloon he had gone into… and this had been the emptiest one he had seen as he walked through the main-street. Balancing the two bottles carefully that were open in his hands, John made his way back to the spot where he had left Ted… but Ted /wasn’t there/. Panic welled in John; the kid was so innocent and green that anything could have happened to him, some unscrupulous character might have picked up on his innocence and wanted to… John turned hastily on his heel, determined to start searching out Ted—

When one of the bottles he had been carrying was plucked from his hand. The harsh rebuke that had teetered on his tongue dried up faster than a watering hole in the desert when he realised who was casually draining the bottle as though it had been brought precisely for him to do so. /It seemed that his suspicions about Randy reaching Bone Orchard had been correct then./

“Y’know,” John muttered, hastening to get a smile on his face for the people that were passing him by, not wanting to alert anyone to anything being out of place, “If I didn’ know better I’d think y’were followin’ me instead, bandit.” Randy smirked slightly, the action just visible to John from the corner of his eye and underneath the brim of Randy’s black hat, “Maybe I am. It was better for me t’give ya the impression that y’were the one followin’ me though, /John./” John fought the reflexive shiver that he wanted to give from hearing Randy use his given name; he could count the number of times he had heard Randy say /that/ name and not his last name or his title, and each time stood out vividly in his memory regardless. “Well,” John rolled his eyes slightly and began to casually walk away, “As much fun as this is—“note intense sarcasm, “I do actually have some business t’attend to.”

“Don’cha worry about Blondie—“Randy drawled as John was a few steps away from him, seeing the Sheriff’s back grow tense almost immediately and knowing in that moment that he had been right when he’d spotted the blonde man that he and his friends had momentarily abducted a few weeks back. Speaking of friends… where the hell had Cody gotten off too with Ted? He had spotted him talking to Mrs Hunter (not her actual name, but it was easier to identify her by her husband’s moniker, some kindly gossiping women had informed him) and had sent his “Dashing” boy over when Hunter himself appeared, thinking that it’d probably be a good idea to get Ted away from that pair…

But where was he now? He was pulled from his thoughts when he found himself almost kissing John Cena because he was that close… and oh, how Randy wished that they were this close in a setting where he could take /full/ advantage of the proximity. If there was some little woman waiting for John back home Randy would damn well make John forget that she existed by the time he was done. Though his affairs with men were clandestine and brief he had had no reason to ever doubt his technique and he wasn’t about to start now. “I take it you recognised Ted then,” John said without preamble, eyes narrowing as he spoke in a tone of clear warning, “What didja do t’the boy, Randy?”

Randy sent John as innocent a look as he could manage (which was admittedly not that innocent) before his expression then morphed into a sensual expression that would have enraptured the devil himself; John felt his stomach tighten and heat started to build underneath his collar, Randy’s body not /that/ close to him to an outsider, but being /more/ than close enough in John’s estimation. “I’ll tell you what, sheriff, why don’t we help each other out?” somehow John doubted that Randy meant that in the way that John’s mind supplied and he forced himself to focus, “And how would we do that?” Randy leant into John’s ear, using the excuse of the steadily loudening music to gain more proximity, “You come to my room with me, and answer a few questions. Then, I’ll tell you exactly where Blondie is.”


	6. Chapter Five: Broaden Your Horizons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go after what they want-- and then some.

Chris didn’t know about being hospitable but he knew damn well he wasn’t being wise as he headed back home, Evan in tow. It wasn’t likely that anyone else would recognise him from his visit two years before, not with his hat pulled low, but anyone who saw the Mayor leaving the party with a stranger in tow would be curious – and that could leave to awkward questions that Chris had no idea how he was going to answer. He wasn’t even sure why he was taking Evan home, only that he needed to speak to the other man without the chance of anyone overhearing them and without the music in the background meaning that he had to raise his voice to be heard. 

Most of the town seemed to be on the field however and he made it home without them running into anyone else. Letting them into the house, he glanced at Evan and smiled – it was actually odd to see him here. Evan had been through that part of the house only on his way out; yet it was oh-so-easy to remember how the man had looked in his bedroom. He saw it every time he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. “Get you a drink?”

“Ever the gentleman.” Evan quirked a smile. “I’ll take a glass of water.”

Chris went to his kitchen and poured some water from the jug, deliberating a moment and getting the same for himself. It probably wasn’t the best idea to be getting drunk when Evan was there. The glasses ready, he leant against the table and took a couple of deep breaths. He had waited what seemed like forever for Evan to return to Bone Orchard, there was a good chance that the man would vanish as suddenly as he’d returned, particularly upon learning that there was a sheriff in town searching for them. That only seemed to emphasise that he had to take the chance that he had right then... but the train of thought seemed a little sordid. As if Evan was going to hit town every two or three years, spend the night in Chris’ bed and then head off again, while Chris was left to wonder if there was someone like him in every town the younger man stopped in. 

Except for that look when Evan had intimated that Chris had been with others since Evan had left town. He’d looked rather hurt and there had been an undertone of jealousy in his voice that Chris believed was wholly real. But Chris had stayed in town and life had gone on as it always had – it had been Evan who had left. 

When he went back into the living room he discovered that Evan had made himself at home, removing his jacket and sitting in a chair, one leg hooked over the arm. He’d taken a book from the few Chris had hanging around and was leafing idly through it, although he looked up when Chris walked back in and gave him a sunny grin. It was all so normal that Chris wondered if he’d stumbled into some parallel universe. Handing Evan the drink, he took a seat on the other chair, taking the changes in Evan’s appearance in more closely. He’d apparently shaved recently (back then, he’d been starting with just a touch of jet-black stubble by the time he climbed in through Chris’ window) but his hair was still the same short no-style that said he lopped it short when he remembered. The real change was hard for Chris to put his finger on – something in the man’s eyes perhaps. He certainly wasn’t the wide-eyed kid he’s been back then, daring to sneak into another man’s bedroom just for kicks... which, Chris realised, didn’t mean he’d necessarily stopped taking insane risks. 

“What’ve you been up to?” he asked, as if Evan had dropped in for a casual visit, although he doubted the truth was anywhere near casual. 

Evan gave Chris a slightly disbelieving look. Was he serious? When they’d had their tryst, the two of them hadn’t bothered with sleep and the time in between their sexual escapades had been punctuated with jokes and conversations about things way deeper than they seemed to be getting into now. Still, it had been a while. Evan supposed he could understand why things were awkward. Telling the truth though was probably a bad idea. 

“I’ve been living like an outlaw,” he said bluntly. “I imagine there’s plenty of wanted posters with my face on, assuming that anyone got a good look. I usually wear a bandana over my face.”

Chris raised an eyebrow and Evan supposed that emphasised how it was a bad idea to tell the truth. Still, he didn’t really want to lie to Chris, as much as it might have made things easier. Chris didn’t have to know any of what he’d been doing, but there was something in him that protested. Weirdly, he didn’t want Chris to like him because of some projected image. 

“Oh god...” Chris took a deep breath, putting his drink aside. “That’s why that Sheriff’s been sniffing around here.”

“Cena?” Evan’s voice was slightly bored and when Chris nodded, he chuckled. “Yeah, Randy’s got this weird fixation with him and he’s been trying to track Randy across the West – I’m not sure he’d take us in even if he caught us though.” He shrugged slightly. “It’s a strange situation.”

“Yeah?” Chris started to get irritated with Evan’s casual appraisal of things. Not that he wanted Evan to be terrified of being caught, but he’d expected more than the disinterest in his own fate that he seemed to be showing. Then again, wasn’t Evan’s willingness to flirt with danger just another indicator of that? “What about the friend he brought with him? Ted Smith?”

“What?” Evan’s eyes widened and to Chris’ surprise, he started to laugh. “Oh hell. After how Cody’s been moonin’ after him – it doesn’t matter I suppose. Love to be a fly on the wall for that reunion though. How’s things been here? That lady still got her cap set for ya?”

“Who—“ Chris thought back and suddenly remembered that the last time Evan had been there, a young lady had been very determined to win his heart. Something he’d barely remembered because of Evan’s overwhelming presence. “Oh. No. She kinda realised I wasn’t into her and met someone else. They’ve got a place in the next town I heard.”

“Disappointed?”

“Hardly.” Chris smirked. “There was only one person I was interested in and it wasn’t her.”

Evan couldn’t help his grin, although he tried to stifle it. Damn, but Chris had been haunting his dreams and that little comment proved that it might not have all been one-way. “Who’s been in your life then, since I was here?”

“No one,” returned Chris so quickly that Evan believed it was utterly true. “I’ve been runnin’ the town and doin’ what I hafta. I should be out there right now—“ He jerked his head to indicate the general direction of Farmers Field. “Or people are gonna start askin’ questions.”

Evan considered it a moment, drawing on his reserves of confidence – just as he had been uncertain back then, he was equally as uncertain now. But if he didn’t try, he didn’t get – right?

Putting his drink aside, Evan moved with deceptive speed over to where Chris was sitting, straddling the man and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “No one’s gonna care where you got to and you can bullshit them in the morning,” he said, smiling a little as he shifted his weight and felt the hardness against his ass and Chris’ sharp intake of breath. Just the memory of what they had done together the last time and how damned good it had felt had him in an equal state, pressing himself against Chris’ stomach so that the blonde was in no doubt as to how he felt. 

“Evan!” Chris looked completely taken aback, but his hands had already moved to Evan’s ass, the firm grip keeping him just where he was, not that Evan had any desire to move. “The party—“ 

“To hell with the party.” Evan leaned forward, his lips brushing against the shell of Chris’ ear. “Do you think about how it was between us?” he whispered. “I think about it all the time. Every day. The things you did with your hands and your tongue, how damn hot you made me—“ A shiver went through him at the memory and he wasn’t so much teasing the other as he was being completely honest and arousing his own libido in the process. “How many times you took me, and it was still never enough. I never stopped wantin’ more and as soon as we got back here, I knew I had to find you again...”

Evan was convinced for a second that he had over played his hand. Chris’ hands moved to his sides and he expected to be thrown aside any moment – but then the man pulled him closer, their lips seeking one another’s and there was clearly no thought of stopping between them.

~:~

Cody was mildly incredulous as Ted allowed him to lead him from the centre of the party. He was almost certain that the man Ted had been talking to (as broad as or perhaps even broader than Cena, he probably could have snapped Cody in two easily – he had the look about him that said he’d try without much provocation) would have stepped in had Ted chosen to say that Cody was a bank robber and had kidnapped him in pursuit of his living, but instead Ted had gone along with Cody’s little charade. That only intrigued him further. 

Arm still slung around Ted’s shoulders, he guided the man around the back of the bank, the irony not lost on him, where there were no revellers that he could see. He didn’t know how long that would last though. The party was still going full swing and he was sure more than one couple would sneak off for a clandestine moment. The townspeople would know the better places though. 

Once they were out of sight, if not earshot, of the gathering, Cody took his arm from around Ted. “I gotta say I’m surprised to see you here Mr Smith.”

“I’m surprised you approached me, particularly while I was in conversation,” Ted returned and Cody it his lip to hide a smirk. He’d known this man was a feisty one, evidenced by his behaviour back in the bank, and this was just further proof. 

“Conversation with people like that does you no good,” he said dismissively. “They were sizin’ you up, probably gonna use their wealth to lure you home to their bed and share the pleasure of eatin’ ya alive.” Ted’s face flushed deep red and Cody was rather delighted; he looked so shocked it boarded on outrage and he’d long since learned that wrong-footing people was the best way to ensure coming out on top of the game. 

“So, what brings you to Bone Orchard? Business?” Cody moved slightly closer to Ted, noticing that the other man didn’t move back right away. Interesting. And those baby-blues didn’t look like they belonged to a man in a corner. There was concern in them yes, but not fear. “Or maybe the bank put out a reward on us, huh? And you figured that since you knew what we looked like, you might be the best man to collect on it. Do I gotta worry about bein’ shot?”

“No!” Ted’s eyes went even wider and Cody believed he was sincere. “I came with a sheriff who was looking for you – I knew I might be able to help him.”

“Oh, Sheriff Cena.” Cody looked a little amused. “If you didn’t wanna get your hands dirty, then I can get that, but I don’t think ya hitched your wagon to the right horse if ya think he’s gonna be the one to take us down.”

“If I’d thought that, then I wouldn’t have accompanied him.” 

Cody raised his eyebrows, unable and unwilling to hide his curiosity. “Then why are you here? Coincidence?” his smirk grew teasing. “Or didja come for me?”

Even in the gloom, he could see that Ted’s previously fading blush was back with a vengeance; the man dropped his eyes and looked intently at the floor. “I don’t know,” he mumbled, like a naughty schoolboy who saw no way to talk himself out of trouble. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

The right thing to do? Cody felt a little touched by the comment, it was so strangely innocent. He’d known that Ted was honourable but he wouldn’t have expected it to extend to the outlaw who kidnapped and injured him – although he wasn’t wearing a sling or anything so maybe he hadn’t been hurt as bad as they’d thought. 

Instinctively, he brought a hand up to Ted’s face and the man started, head snapping up to look at Cody with some shock. Oh, he was going to have to be so careful with this man. Ted’s fancy way of speaking and expensive manner of dress suggested he was well-to-do and probably sheltered, it was unlikely that anything like this had ever happened to him before. It was probably his first journey away from home, but there was no wedding ring adorning his hand and Cody honestly believed had Ted been married, he would not have removed the ring for his travels. That, he thought with a slight flush of shame at thinking of it in such crass terms, made him fair game. But he could sense how skittish Ted was, ready to bolt – he would have to play this so very carefully.

When Ted didn’t pull away from his touch, Cody rested his other hand against the other side of Ted’s face and moved forward to brush their lips together. This was the part where Ted would push him away violently, if he were planning to do so – but aside from a sharp intake of breath, there was no response from the other man, although those wide blue eyes remained fixed on him. Cody wondered if he’d ever been kissed at all. 

As a matter of fact, Ted had been – back when he was twelve and he’d spent a rather pleasant couple of hours experimenting with a thirteen year old girl called Alice, the daughter of one of his father’s employees. They’d both known it would come to nothing even then but Ted had certainly seen some of the attraction in it, even if he didn’t find Alice especially attractive. She had gone on to get into trouble some four years later, married the man responsible and when Ted saw her around she seemed to be permanently pregnant, exhausted and dragging her growing brood around after her. But he had certainly been kissed and when Cody nudged his lips rather tentatively and chastely, Ted found himself slowly reciprocating. 

Cody had intended the kiss to be short, a taster perhaps of things that could come, if Ted would allow them to. Instead he found that as Ted responded to his kiss, he was powerless to stop himself from deepening it, hearing the quiet moan that Ted gave and feeling the shy way in which the man’s hands went to his shoulders, digging into his jacket. Cody ran the tip of his tongue across Ted’s lower lip and when the man parted his lips slightly, he simply plundered the others mouth. Had he been in any state to think about it, he might have suspected that would have brought Ted to his senses. Instead, Ted gave a quiet little growl that seemed to go from Cody’s ears straight down to his stomach, returning the kiss with such fervour that Cody was completely taken aback. Ted’s tongue twined easily with his and Cody pressed forward, his body flush with Ted’s, both of them trying to get closer to one another, even though such a thing was impossible through their layers of clothes. 

Eventually they were forced to part, panting slightly, Cody meeting Ted’s eyes and wondering if he looked as shocked as he felt. He hadn’t expected that at all, that complete outpouring of passion that had happened between them – he had thought that upon discovering that Ted was a cold fish beneath it all he would be able to get the man out of his thoughts and his system. Instead he’d discovered that beneath that polite, well spoken exterior, Ted was all fire and passion and Cody wanted more. He wanted everything. 

He knew that pushing Ted would have been a mistake; if he went back for more and started trying to get beneath his clothes right then, Ted would probably panic. He certainly looked rather close to it even then. But he didn’t have the time to spend months talking the other into accepting his feelings and Cody’s advances, a day or two at most. But that could work in his favour too. Ted simply would not have the time to mull over it all, over-complicate things – he would have to follow his heart and fast. Given that Ted had chased him all the way out there, Cody thought he could do it. 

“Is that why you came lookin’ for me Ted?” Cody forced himself to take a step back, feeling instantly cold without the heat of the other man. “I’ll be happy to give you more—“ Happy? That was an understatement, given how Ted’s hair was mussed and his lips were swollen and shiny – and as Cody watched, the tip of Ted’s tongue emerged to wet them. Cody almost weakened right there and then, unable to take his eyes off the action and probably looking borderline simple. “Come and find me Teddy,” he almost whispered. “But don’t wait. I don’t know how long it is before I’m gone again.”

~:~

John let his eyes roam the room Randy had brought him back to; a couple of saddlebags had been dumped in the corner and clothes spilling from the top of one, a jug of drinking water and three glasses set on a rickety looking table beside the bed. There was only one bed, rumpled and unmade, probably where all three of them had been sleeping, but the air smelled of soap and not sex. Not that he thought that the three of them were involved in any sexual gymnastics but he wouldn’t have been human if he hadn’t have wondered (and maybe fantasised once or twice – although he found that Cody and Evan tended to fade from his thoughts damned quickly, leaving only the Viper behind). There was nowhere to sit but the bed, Randy dropped rather heavily onto the top and leaned against the wall, John sitting a lot more carefully at the opposite end, keeping a distance between them. Not because he thought Randy would try anything, but to make it harder to try anything himself. 

“Ask your damned questions so I can get back to Ted,” he said abruptly. 

Randy chuckled, taking off his hat and dropping it nonchalantly on the table. “Blondie’s quite safe,” he said with some amusement. “Cody’s been pinin’ over him since we let him go. He’ll be pleased ‘bout the little reunion.”

John’s eyes narrowed. “He just better be,” he retorted. “He ain’t some rough-rider.”

“Like you and I.” Randy nodded. “Question number one; why the hell you following us around? Not that you could have taken us down all on your lonesome a hundred miles from home, but I would’ve thought you’d’ve tried before now.”

“I ain’t interested in takin’ you down,” said John, knowing that Randy would see through a lie. Those penetrating eyes were focused on him, making him imagine Randy could see right into his thoughts and the heart of his secret desires. Probably the reaction he was hoping for. “I toldja, you come quietly and I can arrange jail time instead of a noose.”

“And I told you no.” Randy barely even seemed to blink, John realised, no wonder he’d gotten the moniker that he had. That gaze was hypnotic. “Why tail us here?”

“You’re gettin’ yourselves into more trouble than you know.” John sighed, removing his own hat and dropping it onto his lap. Given his usual reaction when he thought of those eyes on him, it was probably a wise precaution. Scrubbing his hand over the short bristles of his hair, he held Randy’s gaze. “There’s people after you, dangerous people. But you know that. So what’s your plan, you’re gonna take the last big score here and head for the border?”

Randy looked actually surprised at that. “Rob the bank in Bone Orchard? We wouldn’t.” His lips curved into a rather sardonic smile. “Mayor Jericho’s an old friend, even if I never knew for sure how close until tonight. We ain’t gonna bring no trouble down on him. Naw, we’re just takin’ a break, a trio of law-abidin’ citizens. Like yourself.”

John looked far from convinced and Randy laughed. “You think I’m lyin’ so you get taken by surprise when we hit the bank?”

“It crossed my mind.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it did. So spend your whole trip stakin’ the place out an’ thinkin’ we’re dumb enough to go there when you know who we are. Or you can treat like a vacation.” Randy laughed again. “You’ve been after us for what, four months, five? And now you don’t quite know what to do. Another question, did you make any plans for catchin’ up to us and havin’ your little plan for our future declined?”

John shook his head and Randy laughed again, a real belly laugh. “That surprises me, it really does. Okay. What did you mean, when you said we’d pissed the wrong person off in the last town we hit?”

Taking a breath, John decided this was the time to bend the truth a little. “The mine owner, DiBiase. Every penny in that town is linked to the mine and you robbin’ the bank would’ve really screwed up his business, if you’d got away with the money. I hear he’s the vengeful type and he’s got the money to throw at the situation.”

There was something about the explanation that Randy wasn’t sure sat quite right, but outwardly he waved it away. “Huh. Another price on our heads to match the other six. He didn’t lose nothin’ in the end and I ain’t sure that he’d bother throwin’ money after us when he’s still got his profits.” There was a sneer in his voice but he noticed that John didn’t look convinced about the mine owner not sending men after them... interesting. But Randy really didn’t see why he’d do such a thing when there had been no loss. Sure, they’d taken Ted along for the ride but what would DiBiase care about the man?

“I take it that Ted works for the mine somewhere?”

“He does the accounts,” said John, the absolute truth – but he hoped that Randy hadn’t done his research into the DiBiase family. There was no reason for him to have done so and his face didn’t so much as flicker at the news. That was good, since John was sure that Randy wouldn’t believe he was a miner. 

“Hmm.” Randy grinned suddenly. “Okay, last question. Evan ain’t comin’ home tonight and I believe that Cody might be otherwise engaged too. I know you ain’t been chasin’ me outta some sense of justice.” His eyes positively glittered at John. “So why don’t you admit the real reason you’ve been after me and spend the night right here, with me?”

John’s jaw dropped. “Shit, you’re so goddamned fulla youself!”

“That I am,” Randy said without shame. “And I ain’t one to beat around the bush either. Don’t know how long it’s gonna be before I leave this place and this time, trust me, you ain’t gonna pick up our trail again. Might be your last chance, John. So stop hidin’ behind your badge and your duty and tell yourself the truth.”

John’s voice seemed to have deserted him under the stare from those blue-grey eyes. “I hafta find Ted...”

“He’s fine. Cody ain’t gonna hurt him, hell, he’ll walk him back to his room like a gentleman and make sure he gets there safe. I told Cody to look after him and that’s just what he’s gonna do. Forget about Blondie. You came out here for me—“ He leaned forward, in kissing distance of the sheriff but not making any kind of move on him. “And if you want me that bad? Then take me. If you can.”

~~

Evan moaned low in his throat and Chris answered the sound with a low moan of his own; the kiss felt the same as it had that first night, and yet completely different at the same time. There was no spice of alcohol on Evan’s tongue this time, and though he hadn’t thought even for a moment Evan was drunk enough to sleep with him if he wasn’t so /inclined/, Chris couldn’t deny he was glad of that little factor. Evan’s nubile, deceptively muscular body was wriggling on his lap and Chris couldn’t recall being this aroused in a long while; even his fantasies of Evan hadn’t afforded him as much pleasure as a real kiss from the object of his desires.

Those lightly calloused, capable fingers were tugging at his hair somewhat as they kissed and Chris didn’t mind it at all—the passionate imp had left scratches and bite marks all over him after their night of passion and he was ready and willing to receive such evidence of Evan’s arousal again… and to leave marks of his own. The dark-haired beauty in his arms had looked ravishing before their encounter, but after? Chris had no words to describe it with justice.

Breaking the kiss when he needed to breathe, panting heavily, Evan bit down on Chris’ bottom lip and rolled his hips in a firm circle that had him effectively pseudo-riding the bulge contained within Chris’ pants. “Pleased to see me, Mr Mayor, or is that a firearm in your pocket?” Chris didn’t know about a /firearm/ but if Evan didn’t stop moving like –oh, fuck!- /that/ then he was going to be /shooting/ long before he was ready. “You’re hardly one to talk about /gun-control/,” Chris returned in a low, gravelly, voice, his hands tightening around Evan’s backside to keep him against him. In the back of his mind Chris was screaming at himself — what was he hoping for after this? That Evan would abandon the life of the common criminal and stay there with him? Yeah, because /that/ was likely to happen.

“Yeh’re thinkin’ too hard,” Evan drawled, biting lightly at Chris’ smooth jaw, making the blonde man groan and tip his head to the side without conscious thought to bear more of his neck to the other. “There’s only one thing y’need ta be think’ about,” Evan said with the same confidence that he had drawn on to make his move in the first place. “What’s that?” Chris asked, brow rising. Smirking, Evan leant in to Chris’ ear and spoke directly against the sensitive skin, “How you’re gonna fuck me.”

A powerful shudder rippled through Chris, a quiet growl leaving him—but Evan wasn’t finished. Oh no, that wicked little mouth was still going, throwing fuel to the fire of Chris’ ardour as well as his own. “We only had time to play in your bed last time, Chris, but maybe this time we c’n be a bit more… /adventurous/. I must say the thought of you fuckin’ me right here is appealing, or against the wall by the window… anyone could see us if they came close enough, squinting through the net and being confronted by our sinful passion—“god, if living without Evan was considered the good way of life then Chris would willingly throw away all the chances he had to get into heaven if it meant he could keep Evan there with him, doing exactly what they were and more. So very much more… he had time, right?

For once it seemed he had caught Evan off-guard, because the man released a sudden squeal as Chris stood up; limber legs locking around Chris’ waist reflexively before he found himself being braced against the little wooden ‘coffee-table’ that donned the majority of the space left on the living-room floor. Looking down into those surprised, amused and definitely lusting (and, was that… wanting, he could see there?) eyes, Chris then quirked a smirk and knelt down so that he was at a more equal level to take Evan easier in that position.

“I do hope you weren’t planning on returning to the party for some dancin’ later… for what I have in mind you most certainly won’t have the energy.” Evan’s abdomen quivered and flexed in pleasure at the ‘threat’ that Chris had levelled at him, arching out his surprisingly supple body out across the coffee-table and doing his best to give Chris what he hoped was a /come-hither/ look. “There’s only one kinda dance I’m interested in doin’, Mr Mayor—and we are both far too overdressed fer that.” On that note he yanked Chris down by his smart shirt, engaging the other in a gloriously messy and passionate kiss.

Nimble fingers (that Evan would swear to his dying day were not shaking with anticipation) began to undo Chris’ shirt buttons until he finally had the material free enough to push aside and expose Chris’ beautiful torso to him once more. He supposed he could have ripped the shirt but there was something in restraining himself to do things /properly/ that excited him further. “Yeh’re so gorgeous, Chris—“Chris felt truly humbled someone as young, handsome and (most assuredly) in-demand as Evan could think such a thing about him, since he wasn’t so young himself anymore. A sharp gasp left him as Evan’s fingers suddenly tweaked his hardening nipples, licking a hot and wholly wicked stripe up his throat.

With hands that were much less gentle than Evan’s own, but taking as much care as possible with Evan’s clothing (somehow he doubted outlaws carried many spares) Chris managed to get Evan completely naked—and what a sight to behold it was. It was as though some Renaissance painting from Italy had come to life and taken up residence in his living-room; some otherworldly angel begging for him with swollen lips and hazy eyes… and how could a mere mortal resist that call. Chris could barely cope enough with the wait to get himself free of his trousers, not even bothering to remove them entirely before he moved closer to Evan, the younger man’s smooth, muscular legs pulling him in close in return. Vaguely Chris thought it was a good idea he’d given his housekeeper Maria the rest of day off so she could spend it with her new husband and enjoy the party, or she’d be getting a shock when she next came in to clean.

Just as he went to take three fingers into his mouth (he hadn’t any lubricating substance close at hand, unsurprisingly, and he would rather eat a rattlesnake than leave Evan there even for a few moments to run upstairs and retrieve some) Evan’s hand caught his, the doe-eyed angel with the devil’s smile looking up at him with serious eyes.

“Now.”

The single word made Chris’ erected cock throb, pre-cum already having provided quite a noticeable sheen to his aching flesh, but his heart and mind refused to let his baser emotions control his actions. “But Evan, I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured.  
The white-hot lust in Evan’s eyes dimmed slightly, previously frantic hands gentle as they reached and held Chris’ cheek and upper-arm, making the older man look up at him. “You won’t. At least, not in any way I don’t want. Later we can play nice, take it slower, but if you don’t fuck me /right now/ then I am going to have to take matters into my own hands… and I doubt you’d really want me to do that, would you?” Chris swallowed hard against a sudden case of dry mouth and equally dry throat, trying to will his voice to work, “Maybe later,” he echoed the previous words.

On that note Evan flashed him another one of those mind-numbing smiles, and Chris discreetly spit into his own hand (Evan might have said he wanted to forgo prep but Chris did want to do this /completely/ dry) before rubbing the saliva over himself, mixing it with pre-cum and praying it would be enough. Leaning up he then pressed himself against Evan’s entrance, eyes locking with the younger man’s before he began to ease himself forward. He watched Evan’s face for any signs of pain, doing his best not to just plough into the almost unbearably tight channel that Evan possessed.

A few tears of pain escaped Evan’s eyes but it was so worth it; he couldn’t have wasted another moment to have Chris inside of him again. Feeling the other man inside of him completely, thighs against his ass, Evan took a few deeps breaths to push past the last of the pain. When he felt ready he groaned, hands grasping at Chris’ arms tighter, “Move.” When Chris hesitated Evan groaned, “I said /fuck me/ Chris!”

~:~

And didn’t that thought scare the proverbial bejeezus out of him? He wasn’t sure whether he could do this to himself; chasing a man across the country for some unknown reason was one thing, but to give up to a stranger (even a dashing stranger, as it happened) the possessions that were most precious to him, only to have the man vanishing off as the wind changed, was not a prospect that Ted was relishing in… but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to. He had /never/ wanted to do anything more. That kiss had woken something inside of him, something that was both terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure and Ted was powerless but to obey its wishes… and right then it was wishing for Cody. Hard. Seeing the emotions warring in Ted’s eyes Cody knew that he had him interested, willing—and that was the most important part of it all.

Even if he didn’t get /everything/ from Ted that night (and though he wouldn’t deny he’d be more than ready for it, the thought of drawing it all out, to really savour the experience, also appealed to him greatly) Cody knew that he had a few days at least in which he could attempt to get more. If he had thought that there was a chance he might never see Ted again before, if he, Evan and Randy reached the border then the chances were even slimmer. Tipping his hat back just enough to meet Ted’s eyes, Cody murmured huskily, “Come on Teddy… Come find me.” And then he was turning, running down the eerily empty backstreet. Ted must have taken total leave of his senses, because there was barely a pause for breath before he was chasing the outlaw.

They would have probably looked a sight indeed had there been anyone around to see them (someone would probably take it upon themselves to jump Cody, mistaking the reason for which Ted was chasing the other) but Ted couldn’t bring himself to care. Cody was mere metres away, his footsteps pounding on the ground in a strangely synchronised rhythm to his own. The dark haired outlaw rounded a corner and Ted’s heart dropped—but when he caught up to him Cody was casually leaning against a somewhat dingy looking hotel wall, crooking a finger at him. Almost like he was one of those scraggly looking puppets Brett had had since babyhood, Ted found himself walking across the open, desolate street and following Cody back into the shadows. Damn it, what was this man doing to him? Ted honestly didn’t know.

Breathing hard (and not just from exertion) Ted found himself chest-to-chest with Cody, but this time /he/ was the one in the more ‘dominant’ position of the ‘hunter’… but Cody didn’t look concerned enough to be labelled prey. “I found you,” he found himself murmuring, his voice barely audible to himself over the rush of blood in his ears—but it seemed that Cody heard him just fine. The hat was tipped back again, no doubt cushioning Cody’s head from the roughness of the walls bricks. The smirk he was sending Ted made the just-slightly-older-male bite his own bottom lip out of some strange reflex. Dare he do it? He knew that he had made some seriously impulsive decisions lately but this? His earlier reservations still held true...  
…but his desires won out when Cody next spoke, “That’cha did, Teddy… now what are you gonna do with me?” the question sent a fresh suffusion of blood to his cheeks, feeling almost dizzy from the multitude of emotions running through him, his mind struggling to catch up to what was going on. “I—“he started, realising that his voice sounded pathetically weak and deciding to act instead; Cody had started this whole /game/ and so Ted couldn’t bring himself to believe honestly that he would be pushed away if he made the initial advance… it didn’t stop him from hesitating though. Cody gentle coaxed, “Go on, Teddy—you won the chase, now take your reward.”

Well, when Cody put it that way… it sounded pretty obligatory really, didn’t it? And he so didn’t want to disappoint. Taking a deep breath and pushing away all the negative considerations in his mind Ted pushed his body forward into Cody’s, wondering whether he was the only one who noticed how snugly their bodies fit together. “If y’insist,” he murmured lowly, the roughness of that previously well-articulated accent making Cody tremble like some virginal choirboy. And then, finally, /finally/, Ted’s lips were against his again.

The rough brick that was pressing into his palms barely kept Ted grounded to reality as Cody’s head angled to allow him better access to his mouth, seemingly having no thoughts of requesting the tentative request for access Ted made with his tongue on Cody’s bottom lip. Though Ted had been intending to try and take this kiss slower the propriety he had been intending on seemed to vanish within mere moments of Cody’s intoxicating taste flooding his mouth. He wasn’t sure which of them moaned, or indeed if it was both of them—all he knew was that he never wanted the moment to end. God could strike him down then and there and he would die happy.

Cody’s hands meanwhile (though wanting, craving, to slide down Ted’s shirt-covered back to take a hold of that delicious /ass/ that he had not been able to get from his mind since the night he had really gotten to take stock of Ted’s posterior until the other had been draped over his horse) had fisted in Ted’s shirt, feeling the deceptively strong muscles Ted possessed. A sheltered boy this one might be, but he had to have done something with some laborious aspects in mind to achieve such a figure. If he was honest Ted seemed to have more muscle definition than even he had, and he was a roughshod, no-nonsense, minimal-comfort rogue.

This had gone better than Cody had anticipated (half expecting Ted to cave and flee) but he knew he couldn’t push his advantage too far. The kiss was broken a disappointingly short time later –Ted being unused to having his lungs lasting on recycled air an’ all- and Cody was unable to help himself leaning in and fastening his lips around the sensitive flesh of Ted’s ear… and the deliciously innocent way which Ted gasped out, “Oh, God!” before his hips thrust of their own accord into Cody’s, told Cody that he had made a good choice. Oh, the things he could show Ted. He could show him everything, give him a taste of what true passionate love-making was before Ted consigned himself, no doubt, to a ‘perfect’ life with a drab little boring, sweet wifey who would out a few brats for him.

All Ted had to do was ask, and Cody would do it. But, he knew the man wouldn’t ask… he was much too shy to, too new to everything to know /exactly/ what he wanted, so Cody was going to have to guide him. Mouth moving down from Ted’s ear and along his smooth jaw, Cody couldn’t resist beginning to kiss and nibble the perfect column on unblemished flesh before him as Ted continued to pant out pleas for God and very light obscenities, his hands kneading restlessly in the brickwork. Though touching Cody would be much more appealing he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to control himself if he did such a thing.

“Do you trust me?” the words, so calm and direct, needed a few moments to register in his brain. Pulling back enough to meet Cody’s eyes Ted saw that the outlaw was serious. And, in a strange way, Ted /did/ trust Cody. He trusted that Cody wouldn’t hurt him, wouldn’t use any of the intimate knowledge he gained here against Ted later. Swallowing hard Ted then breathed, “Yes.” A genuine, dare he say it, sweet, smile touched Cody’s lips. “Good… then let me take care of you.” An arm went around his waist, lips pressing against his own again. Ted’s confusion didn’t last long though, and this time he /had/ to grasp at Cody lest his knees gave out, and for damn good reason too:

/Cody’s hand had just wrapped around his cock and was beginning to stroke./

~:~

It was that final verbal sling of Randy’s that did it. Much as John hated to admit to what was his deepest, darkest desire in any manner to himself, let alone to anyone else (and especially not the main star of said fantasies) he knew when he was caught out. And well Randy was offering. John might not be the man with the most book-smarts but he was no fool and he knew when to take the initiative on a chance. Meeting those confident, hypnotic eyes once more, John then threw his hat onto the ground beside the bed without care, grabbing the front of Randy’s shirt and leather vest in a firm grip. For the smallest of moments the outlaw actually looked uncertain, as though he suddenly wasn’t sure in his assessment of John—but John didn’t pay too much attention to the expression for once, smashing their lips together violently; throwing finesse out of the window for the sake of contact. He had waited too long for this, much /too fucking long/ and he’d be damned if he waited anymore.

After a few moments of needing to allow his brain to catch up to what was happening, Randy grasped John’s hips firmly and dragged the Sheriff closer. There was nothing at all genteel about this kiss (Randy wasn’t genteel by nature, and right then they were just much too interested in getting each other naked to be too concerned with politeness and etiquette) it being all heat and teeth and saliva, tongues lashing and fighting, both trying to dominate and plunder as much of the other’s mouth as they could. There was a borderline obscene wet sound as the kiss broke, outlaw and sheriff looking at one another, hands still clutching at bodies and chests heaving, their panting breaths the only sound in the quiet room. After a few moments though Randy quirked a brow, smirking, “That all ya got /John/?” John growled, surprising himself even with the animalistic quality of the sound.

Randy found himself on his back mere moments later, John’s gorgeous body trapping his own to the bed as the dimpled good-boy sheriff seemed to be trying to take the very breath from his being. Squirming, Randy managed to get his hands from between their bodies, reaching upwards and preparing to damn well /tear/ John’s shirt off—until he remembered that the man was going to have to walk back to his hotel the next morning (what? After he’d been waiting months for this moment you seriously thought one round would sate him? Uh, no) and this time being the one to release a growl. “Getcher fuckin’ shirt off, Cena.” John arched a brow at him, but then his strong fingers were slipping the buttons free of his light blue shirt, Randy’s eyes feasting ravenously on the muscled flesh as it was revealed. John’s body was blemish free, but Randy would change that before the sun rose tomorrow.

Tossing his shirt aside John then placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at Randy, straddling the taller male, “I know you outlaws don’ play by t’rules the way we ord’nary folk do—but if you wan’ somethin’ from me then ya gotta be willin’ to give a little in return.” Oh, so that was how he wanted to play it, was it? Without hesitation Randy was shrugging out of his leather vest and shirt, John being the one to worship the other with his eyes this time around. Randy knew he was good looking, had been told it many, many times over… but to have John looking at him with such unashamed desire made Randy feel something he had never experienced before and couldn’t name.

The air seemed to smoulder between them both even as they forced themselves to back down a little bit, eyes never leaving one another’s as they continued to strip themselves down by an article of clothing at a time. The kiss (and the undeniable arousals that were soon bared when both men had their trousers off) may have been proof to the fact that both men wanted this but it seemed like a final test: to see which one of them would cave when it came down to the final push. Finding himself naked underneath John, Randy placed his hands behind his head, the epitome of cocky casualness even as his cock stood tall and proud against his abdomen, leaving John in no doubt as to how he felt.

Licking his lips slowly, John then got back onto the bed (he had vacated it to remove his pants) and then ran his hands over Randy’s incredible thigh muscles—they were things of beauty alright. Actually, there wasn’t a part of Randy that wasn’t amazing; his body looked like it had been carved by God himself, not a single flaw visible. Not like himself… he had the freshest bullet wound in his chest, a few more scars and markings left over from his childhood labour, each a badge of his growth and evolution into a man. If Randy had been expecting that John would just run straight for that final post he was sorely mistaken… if this was the only night he got to experience Randy then he’d be damned if he didn’t get as much out of it as possible. Locking eyes with the outlaw, John then slowly and deliberately lowered himself down to Randy’s manhood. It’d been a long, long time since he’d last done this and he mentally prayed his technique was up to scratch.

“/Goddam!/” Randy hissed out through his teeth as John’s hot, wet mouth started to envelope his solid flesh. To have the baby-blue-eyed, dimpled, good-boy John Cena sucking him off (an act most people liked to determine as something only the whores in the brothels did) almost had Randy embarrassing himself like a virginal teenager from the mere thought alone. Reaching down, Randy threaded his long fingers into John’s short hair as much as he was able, supporting his head. “Damn, Cena—“he panted softly, half of his length lost into John’s mouth now, his eyes riveted to the sight, “—if I’da known you’d be this eager, I woulda made a move a long time ago.” If John was offended by his words it didn’t show, and soon talking wasn’t very high on Randy’s lists of priorities.


	7. Chapter Six: Just Takin’ What You Can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting hot and sweaty in Bone Orchard~

Driven on by the command, Chris thrust hard into Evan and gritted his teeth when he heard the cry the other gave, pain and pleasure in equal measures. He really didn’t want to hurt the man but he understood the need to do this fast and hard with no care for the pleasantries – he had been without Evan for two years and judging by how tight Evan felt around him, it might actually have been the same length of time for him too. Two years was too long, two days would have been and Chris wanted to sate himself with the other man, get that desperate urgency dealt with so that the next time they could take their time and not have their need take over the rediscovery.

 

Managing some self-control, Chris managed to keep his own pace relatively slow but his thrusts hard and deep until the cries he heard from Evan seemed to be only pleasured and Evan’s legs tightened around his waist, the movement of his hips urging Chris on. Abandoning any thoughts of care Chris braced his hands on the table and let himself go, driving into Evan roughly and fast, the sudden yell from the man telling him that he’d found that spot inside Evan to make him see stars. Chris gave a moan as Evan reflexively tightened around him; damn, but he wasn’t sure that after their enforced period of celibacy that he’d be able to keep himself from finishing this too quickly – but he could hold on at least as long as Evan, that much he promised himself.

 

Evan’s hands gripped his shoulders, leaving red marks as his nails trailed over them, entreaties and repeats of his lovers name falling from his lips with unashamed loudness. The table creaked slightly ominously, not that either of them noticed the protests, far too lost in each other. Leaning up, Chris paused a moment to grab Evan’s hips tightly and then continued to pound into him unmercifully, growling a curse as Evan arched up beneath him, one hand going above his head, the other encircling the base of his cock.

 

Chris’ gaze was fixed on the image of his lover beneath him, the sight making him desperately aware that he wasn’t going to last any time at all. Evan began to stroke himself roughly, in time to Chris’ frenzied movements, eyes slipping closed. “Chris—“ He was panting, tone urgent and Chris could see from the way his cock throbbed and wept that Evan was right on the brink as well.

 

“Oh god Ev,” he moaned, feeling a bead of sweat trail down his spine and tipping his head back, able to feel the ends of his hair brushing against his skin. “You’re so fuckin’ tight, so goddamn good...”

 

He slammed into Evan with deliberate violence and a shudder ran through the other man at the pressure against his prostate. “Fuck, Chris!” Evan’s eyes flew open to meet Chris’, hazed over with lust and desire. “Harder!”

 

Unable to form words any further, Chris leaned over Evan again, keeping his hands on the man’s hips and somehow finding extra reserves from somewhere, the table beneath Evan making a louder noise which was lost beneath the moans of both men. Evan arched up again, sinking down onto Chris as hard as he could manage and letting out a hoarse, wordless yell as he came, his seed spattering against his stomach. The sight of his lover looking so blissed and debauched, coupled with the way Evan clenched around him and increased the already tortuous friction to his cock was the last straw for Chris; with a cry of his own he emptied himself deep inside the other man, thrusts growing erratic as he sated himself entirely.

 

Evan lolled back on the table, grinning up at Chris insolently and Chris returned the grin with a sigh, leaning down to kiss Evan, too tired to support his own weight and leaning on the table instead – something that proved to be a tactical mistake as the tortured furniture gave a final warning noise and the leg collapsed, spilling them both to the floor. Evan gave a surprised grunt as Chris landed on his midriff, causing Chris to forget his exhaustion and lean up in a hurry. “Shit!”

 

Evan gave an amused chuckle, disregarding the slight ache in his stomach. “I’ve never been fucked through a table before, Mayor Jericho. No wonder the voters support you.”

 

Chris tried to bite back his amusement. “Are you hurt?”

 

“Well...” Evan put on his most seductive voice. “Do you wanna pull the splinters outta my ass?”

 

This time Chris couldn’t help it; he let out a short laugh. “This isn’t how I ever envisioned this to finish up.”

 

“Who said we were finished?” Evan sat up, wincing slightly but knowing he’d be fine pretty soon. “And you thought about this often?”

 

“Every day,” admitted Chris without even a trace of embarrassment. “And every night. Now get out of the remnants of the damn table and go lie on your stomach over there so I can examine that splintered ass of yours properly!”

 

Evan laughed, picking himself up and heading for the space that Chris had indicated, realising he probably looked completely debauched with the marks on his back and Chris’ seed starting a slow trail down his leg. Not that he cared even slightly. He looked back over his shoulder at Chris, giving the older man a coy glance. “What’re you gonna do once all the splinters are gone?”

 

“Whaddya think?” Chris gave a wolfish grin that Evan was sure the townsfolk never got to see. “I’m gonna fuck it again.”

 

~:~

 

Ted gave a long, shuddering breath as Cody ran his hand firmly over his cock, a slight twist of his wrist as he reached the head making Ted moan quietly, trying to stifle the noise. God, they were in the street and even though there was no one else around and he could hear the distant noises of the band, the singer leading them in some rousing number that would have the crowd dancing and whooping it up, there was still the chance that they could be discovered... and yet, he didn’t want Cody to stop what he was doing. It wasn’t as if he had never touched himself there of course, but given how stern the preacher in their town had been on such issues it had been something he had tried to avoid and whenever he gave in had always felt as much shame as he had arousal. But what Cody was doing to him was filling him with lust, crowding out any notion of guilt.

 

“Oh—!” He let out the sound as Cody rubbed his thumb over the tip of his erection before resuming his stroking, the arm around Ted tightening slightly. The slight breeze only seemed to heighten just how the heat inside him was burning and another noise escaped him, making him bite his lip to hold back any more.

 

Cody pressed a kiss to his lips, oddly soft and gentle considering what his hand was doing. “It’s alright Ted,” he said softly. “I like to hear you. Don’t try to keep it in.”

 

Trembling with barely-repressed need, Ted tried to articulate his thoughts. “I-if someone else hears...”

 

“They won’t.” Cody gave Ted’s cock a squeeze before continuing his almost maddening pace on the other. “Trust me.”

 

Trust, wasn’t that the crux of the matter? Ted supposed he had no reason to trust Cody at all, but he did – more than anyone he’d ever met and no matter how dangerous or misleading that emotion might be. Giving a gasp as Cody’s hand sped up a little, he found he couldn’t hold his hips still any longer, driving himself into the tight channel of Cody’s hand and wondering if as close as they were, Cody could feel his heart threatening to burst right through his ribs. He supposed he should stay still and let Cody take care of him, like he’d said, but his body refused to let him.

 

“That’s right baby, show me what you need,” Cody murmured, emboldening him to consciously move himself into the others hand, feeling how his own precum eased the friction of Cody’s hand and brought him closer and closer to ecstasy. His grip on Cody’s shoulders grew dangerously tight; no one else had ever touched him there before and in spite of his infrequent solitary, shameful fumblings, he had never anticipated it could feel anything like this...

 

Cody’s lips went to his jaw and with a sudden jolt, Ted realised he wasn’t going to be able to lock his release back at all, not even long enough to walk with an odd gait to somewhere he’d be alone to take care of it and Cody either hadn’t realised or possibly didn’t care. “Cody,” he moaned, attempting to sound firm and reasonable and sounding only desperate to his own ears. “It’s too much, I’m gonna—“ His voice trailed into another moan and he tried to fight the coils of arousal in his stomach; even if his brain hadn’t been completely frozen of any thought other than what was being done to him, after a lifetime learning to guard his tongue and mind his manners, he wouldn’t have known how to say anything without being crude.

 

But Cody seemed to understand him anyway. “It’s alright Teddy,” he murmured into the man’s ear, his hand speeding up until Ted was gasping against the weight of not allowing his release. “It’s alright, just trust me, let yourself go—“

 

Ted couldn’t stop himself another second; with a strangled cry that seemed very loud to him he felt his whole world narrow to little more than sensation, the most incredible, intense feeling he’d ever had sweeping over him. He thrust himself mindlessly into Cody’s hand, his orgasm seeming to go on a long time and when he was finally spent, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to keep himself upright had it not been for Cody’s arm around him. Cody supported him, tongue catching a trickle of sweat that Ted hadn’t even been aware of before he moved to kiss Ted’s lips, tucking the man back inside his pants.

 

Ted swallowed, trying to catch his breath and wondering what happened now – it was probably polite to thank the other but it didn’t seem like the right thing to say either. But god, that had been something else. He hadn’t even been aware that something like that could exist, something that felt so good and – well, right. He kept waiting for the realisation of what he’d done to truly hit him and guilt to make an appearance, but all he felt was sated, happy and completely unashamed. And then Cody leaned back slightly, bringing a hand to his lips. Ted’s eyes widened slightly when he realised what Cody was doing, lapping Ted’s seed from his fingers. Oddly decadent it might be, but Ted found it a little embarrassing knowing that it was his fault Cody had to clean up.

 

“Cody, stop! I have a handkerchief...”

 

“So do I.” Cody smiled at Ted, looking rather impish. “But you taste so good Teddy, I can’t resist...” He caught the look on Ted’s face and relented slightly, seeing the other wasn’t sure how to take his actions. Letting Ted go, since he was sure that the man wasn’t about to have his legs give out beneath him, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his handkerchief, wiping his hand with some regret. Ted still looked uncertain though and Cody rested a hand on his cheek, kissing him again while making sure to be undemanding – Ted’s unconscious sensuality was a hell of a turn on but he couldn’t push this or Ted would back away. He had to let Ted dictate just what he was comfortable with.

 

“I’ll walk you back to your room,” he said chivalrously – he was more than used to the seedier side of people and places and he would not have let Ted leave unaccompanied even if nothing at all had happened between them.

 

Ted’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh no! John only went to get drinks, he probably thinks I’ve come to some harm, I’ve been gone so long—“

 

“Whoa.” Cody smiled at Ted. “He’s probably got other things on his mind right now. I know Randy was hopin’ to run into him back there and what Randy wants, he usually gets. I imagine John’s takin’ up my side of the bed right about now and he ain’t thinkin’ about what the two of us are doin’.”

 

Ted flushed, but he couldn’t deny that he’d known all along just what John was pursuing Randy for. He’d recognised that inexplicable obsession through his own actions. He doubted that John was anywhere near as inexperienced as he was either, probably Randy was far more satisfied with his encounter than Cody was with his – Ted didn’t see that Cody had gotten much from it.

 

He wasn’t right about that though, because Cody had relished every moment of time spent with the man he couldn’t get from his mind, being able to satisfy him in that manner – and he’d realised that no one had ever done to Ted what he had. There was something in that knowledge that made him both humble and proud.

 

“If John has left you no place to sleep,” said Ted carefully as they fell into step beside each other, Cody trying to will away the erection he’d been sporting for a while, since it would only make it harder for him to walk and if Ted realised why, it might unnerve him. “Then I think you should be able to sleep in his room. But um, there was only a room with one bed...” He looked at the floor nervously. “I insist you take it.”

 

The offer was just what Cody had been hoping for, with one qualifier – and he was touched that Ted would offer an outlaw comfort while denying himself the same. “I insist that ya share with me then,” he said, noticing how Ted looked at him sharply before trying to pretend that he hadn’t been. “Hey,” he said, stopping and laying a hand on Ted’s arm. “I promise, I’ll just sleep. I’m not askin’ for more than you wanna give me. You can trust me.”

 

“Oh, I know,” said Ted as if the thought of Cody trying something on hadn’t even crossed his mind. “It’s just – well, with you lying beside me... I don’t know that I could trust myself.”

 

Cody’s grin could have lit up the whole town and Ted’s solemnity and admission of his attraction had the confines of his pants seeming a lot tighter. “If you feel the need to misbehave Teddy, then you won’t find me complainin,” he said and a moment later, Ted was smiling at him too, seeming far more relaxed than he had since they started walking. If Ted wanted to wait, then Cody was certain that he was worth it, but if Ted wanted teaching then Cody was more than willing to take up that role. He’d relish the chance, all he had to do was wait for Ted to give it to him.

 

~:~

 

John forced himself to relax, feeling the head of Randy’s cock touch the back of his throat and the resultant moan from the outlaw telling him it had been worth the effort. Bobbing his head and taking Randy deep into his throat every time, he starting lavishing attention on the man’s cock with his tongue, running it up the sensitive underside and occasionally flicking it over the tip. Randy let out a steady stream of moans and curses, not at all shy about letting John know how it felt and with the filthiest mouth the sheriff had ever known – and that was saying something in his line of work. He suckled eagerly as drops of precum started to flow more rapidly; Randy tasted good and there was something wickedly illicit about the whole experience.

 

Not that he was going to be satisfied by bringing Randy off right away. He’d chased the man too far and waited too long for this moment to be contented with just what he was getting and although it would be erotic as hell to taste the other completely and he had no doubt that Randy would return the favour for him, he wanted as much as he could take, as often as he could take it. That Cody or Evan might return didn’t cross his mind, his responsibility to Ted long forgotten.

 

His own cock begged for attention, jumping slightly every time it slid against the somewhat coarse bedcovers, but John tried to force himself to ignore it. There would be time and he would be sated, but other things were more important right then. He made sure that he got Randy’s cock as wet as possible, probably being messier than some would like but Randy didn’t seem to be complaining, quite the opposite in fact. From the way the man’s thighs shook and the hands on his head occasionally tightened before being loosened with what felt like forced consideration, he would have known the man was into it even without the stream of filthy commentary.

 

Pulling himself back from the other, he chuckled as he heard Randy’s petulant growl. “Y’think I came all the way out here just to suck you off, Viper?” he asked with a rather dark smirk on his face. “No, I didn’t. But I only got a couple more miles to ride before I get what I came for.”

 

John straddled Randy in a fast movement that seemed to take the outlaw by surprise – and it felt damn good for the other to be the uncertain one for once. Seeing his intent, Randy leant up on his elbows. “Fuck, wait a moment – I got somethin’ ta help that along—“

 

John raised an eyebrow, was that solicitousness from Randy? The man was full of surprises. “I don’t feel like waitin’,” he said, leaning in to kiss Randy hard before wrapping a hand around the base of Randy’s cock and slowly lowering himself onto it. For a moment he thought he might have been overambitious and that would be embarrassing to admit, but then the head of Randy’s cock breached him and he gasped sharply, pressing down further but still taking it slowly so he didn’t so himself any damage – and to his surprise and Randy’s credit, the outlaw reached out to take hold of his hips, otherwise staying completely still with his eyes on John, waiting for the other to adjust himself.

 

John waited until he was firmly seated on Randy before taking a breath and accustoming himself – it had been a long while and Randy wasn’t exactly small – before giving an experimental movement on Randy’s shaft. The immediate groan was rather gratifying and he rose almost entirely off Randy’s cock before impaling himself again, giving a cry at the sensation; either he’d forgotten how good this could be or else it simply never had with anyone else. He established a rhythm quickly, head tipping back a moment while he tried to give himself a stern pep talk. Even from the start, he could tell that this was going to be something incredible.

 

He had long been used to a more passive partner and Randy had initially given him the space to do as he liked, so it was almost a shock when the hands on his hips tightened and he glanced down to see that look on Randy’s face – the other man was staring at him so intently that John got the fleeting impression the other man wanted to eat him alive. It was oddly thrilling and almost wiped from his mind when Randy thrust up inside him suddenly, hitting the spot inside him forcefully. The suddenness and the sensation tore a cry from John’s lips and brought a smile to Randy’s.

 

“Gotcha,” he growled, hands slipping around to grab John’s ass as he started upping the pace, back arching, never once taking his eyes from the man atop him.

 

“Fuck!” John tilted himself back slightly, unconsciously convinced that Randy had him and wasn’t about to let him slip or anything. “Oh fuck, Randy – don’t stop!”

 

“Never.” Randy watched John’s obvious pleasure, the man above him a visual feast and stretched out just for his eyes – it was all he could do not to just shoot his load right there. Watching John probably didn’t make lasting any easier, but there was no way he was going to stop watching him; some sights deserved to be closely watched and given the incredible fashion in which John’s muscles moved and his face contorted, some sights deserved to be fucking worshipped. And Randy had every intention of doing that.

 

John’s hand slid down his abdomen in an act so undeniably erotic that for a moment Randy didn’t realise his intentions. It wasn’t until John wrapped a hand around his cock and started stroking himself that Randy frowned, slapping his hand away and catching the extremely pissed off look on the man’s face.

 

“Mine,” he growled, one hand remaining on John’s ass while the other took over where John had been forced to lay off. “You’re mine and even you don’t get to fucking touch, not unless I say so—“ The twitching of John’s cock under his hand reminded him that his own was damned close to exploding and he moaned, his hand working faster as he tried to hold himself back while bringing John to the edge.

 

The overly possessive manner should have pissed John off further, instead the dominance accompanied by Randy’s hand had the opposite effect. Randy was skilled at what he was doing, there was no question about that. “Fuck – so close, I can’t—“

 

“So don’t.” Randy’s voice was low, forced out between gasps for air. “Cum for me John, on me, fuckin’ mark me with your seed – what you wanted, right?”

 

“Fuck, ah FUCK—“ There was no holding back for John after that little comment; with a bolt of sheer bliss that he would have sworn he felt in every single fibre of his body his climax overtook him, a release more powerful than anything he recalled happening before hitting Randy’s abdomen and chest. Had there been anyone in the next room rather than at the party, there might have been some serious complaints going on because John was shouting his pleasure to the heavens, interspersed with Randy’s name, still moving hard on the other. His inner muscles reflexively flexed and tightened around Randy and the younger man added his own cries as he fought a brief losing battle with his control before his own release flooded his lover, the sensation of the other deep inside him bringing further moans from John.

 

By the time they had both stilled John was leaning over Randy, exhausted and sweating, a far cry from the heroic image the sheriff usually liked to project. The dimples were the same though, out in force as John gave a weary, triumphant grin. “That was worth trailin’ you this far for,” he murmured, mostly to himself.

 

Stretched out beneath him, covered with the marks John had left on him, randy’s returning grin was a lot darker if equally languid. “Worth stoppin’ for,” he agreed, taking a couple of breaths and trying to recover himself. John leaned in and the two met in a sated kiss, something neither had been sure would happen – considering the animal attraction between them, neither one had been sure if they would still be interested once that had been sated. But John was pleased that it still seemed to be there, if simmering beneath the surface. Even if it did lead to more problems than he was sure he knew how to deal with.

 

Randy moved his hands to John’s sides and the man let out an undignified noise as the outlaw suddenly flipped them, rolling on top of John without actually pulling out of him. John had just about time to reflect that such an act took a lot of skill before he was looking up into Randy’s coolly amused eyes and thought deserted him. What was it about Randy that made him feel like a teenager in the midst of his first sexual encounter rather than a grown man with experience under his belt?

 

“I’m wearin’ your mark,” said Randy, moving over John so that the mark in question was over his body too. “”Only fair that you should wear a few of mine.” With that, his mouth latched around John’s nipple, sucking hard, on the verge of painful and John arched and growled. He had expected that he’d need a lot more recovery time than he’d been given but Randy was already getting a reaction from him – and that was just fine by him.

 

~:~

 

Christ… just hearing that had Evan’s shaft valiantly trying to get hard again, and even though his stamina was nothing to scoff at he usually needed more time than this to recover. Well… his last encounter was one he could barely remember, to be fair, a few months after they had left Bone Orchard that first time, and it had just been a quickie with a sweet little lady who was feeling down on her luck, shared in his desperation, and who he managed to get some pleasure out of—thinking of Chris, of course. His companion had also called a different name at the penultimate moment so he felt slightly less guilty for letting his mind wander.

 

Moving over to the large, fur-carpet covered space before the currently unused fireplace Evan then lay himself down and waited for Chris to join him. The Mayor barely flinched at the ruined table (he’d just claim he was attempting DIY on his own again—everyone knew he was shockingly helpless at it without someone there to keep an eye on him) more concerned by that perfect little perky backside taking damage that he hadn’t done to it. Not that he’d damaged Evan very much at all if the smaller man’s relaxed manner was anything to go by. Moving to the vixen who’d haunted his dreams for two years and counting, Chris then gently began to run his fingers over the swells of taunt muscle, “Evan…”

 

A shiver ran through Evan’s naked body at the low, throaty murmur, the delicate and currently non-sexual touch made him feel oddly precious… and yet he didn’t quail away from such a thought. He was actually warmed by it, and Evan liked to pride himself as being more logical than to fall for such nonsense as romantic emotions. “Yes Chris?” he murmured in return, skin being caressed by the fur rug the same way Chris’ hands were caressing his backside as he checked him over.

 

As it turned out a splinter or two was removed from Evan’s backside, the smaller man yipping soft curses at the minor pain even though Chris had been really good at removing them without causing undue pain. “All better,” Chris patted his backside lightly and Evan started to rise up on his hands and knees— only to almost fall down again when the warm softness of Chris’ lips began moving over the flesh. The shuddering breath Evan released made Chris smirk gently; how long had he waited to render this untameable outlaw into such decadent states of bliss? “I do believe I said I wanted to fuck you again…” his eyes met Evan’s as the outlaw managed to look over his shoulder, those deep soulful eyes piercing Chris’ heart without effort, “Not too sore are you?”

 

Turning, Evan pressed his hands onto Chris’ chest, causing the Canadian to flump down on the thick fur rug without much resistance, looking up at Evan. “You promised me all night, Mayor,” Evan reminded as his mouth travelled down to the sensitive spot that he knew was contained just underneath Chris’ ear, “And I intent to collect—until the sun goes down, and then when it comes back up again.” Of course they might need to stop for food and sleep at some point, but they weren’t too high on his list on priorities right then. What was his priority was the need to feel Chris buried deeply inside of him, and then –after a respite- to have himself buried inside Chris.

 

This time as Evan pushed himself down onto Chris’ renewed erection the passage was much smoother; Chris’ release making a very potent lubrication. Hands bracing on Evan’s hips Chris supported the other down before making him still a few moments; they may have just done this but he knew that the body needed chances to recuperate. Leaning up, using the positioning of his fingers splayed over Evan’s lower-back to indicate with a slight pressure what he wanted, he caught the younger man’s lips in another kiss, this one being deeper and slower than before.

 

“Did I ever tell you that you were the best ride I’ve ever had, Mayor?”

 

Evan sent him a smile that was 60% devil and 40% angel and Chris swore that his brain shut-down in that moment. The words spoken then registered with him and he pulsed inside Evan— that ego stroke had given his manhood an equally pointed caress and he knew Evan would feel it. “That a fact?” Chris managed, laying back with a low sound as Evan began to roll his hips slowly, firmly, the passion still there but much more restrained this time.

 

“Yeah—“Evan moaned softly, hands bracing themselves on Chris’ chest as he started to bring himself off of Chris until he was almost all the way out of him and then sliding back down again. “Your stamina’s pretty amazing for an old—oh, fuck!”

 

Evan gasped at the sudden thrust and Chris smirked up at him, “You were saying?”

 

~:~

 

The walk back towards where John and Ted were apparently staying was quiet, but not altogether awkward. There was a strong atmosphere between them that Cody swore was the cause of the goosebumps he could feel, hidden underneath his clothing at that moment in time, but the little, shy and most definitely curious looks that Ted was sending him as they walked were certainly helping matters as far as he was concerned. Entering the much brighter, warmly-decorated establishment Ted was staying in he took his room-key from his pocket when they onto the landing that led towards the room. “Just one key?” he asked curiously.

 

Ted looked embarrassed. “John said it’d be better if I looked after it, he reckons that he can be a real scatterbrain.” For some reason Cody didn’t have difficulty picturing that.

 

Opening the door Ted then stepped back, a gentleman born-and-bred, to let Cody in first. Cody looked amused and Ted’s blush darkened further… the sight of the red flush vanishing down into Ted’s shirt-collar made Cody wonder just how far the blush went. With any luck he’d be getting to see before too long. “Nice place,” he commented, noting that the bed was very pristinely made indeed—and that again spurred thoughts that he really needed to keep in check if he wanted to keep himself from diving onto the innocent man opposite him.

 

“Yes, it’s very comfortable—“Ted seemed to realise that he too had been looking at the bed as he spoke and he hastily tried to backtrack, “I mean, um, the room. Very comfortable. Nice and warm.”

 

And damn, wasn’t Ted just the cutest little thing ever? Cody grinned slowly and then toed off his boots, “Much obliged fer ya lettin’ me stay in here with ya, Ted—though sleepin’ outside under t’stars wouldn’ve been much of a hardship for me.”

 

The way Ted’s eyes widened told Cody that he had never slept rough before, and the borderline awe he could see in those beautiful bright blues made Cody believe that he deemed the outlaw both brave and foolish for doing such a thing in the open where if the animals didn’t get ‘em then the Indians just might. “You sleep outside? Just outside, with nothing?” he asked in a rather hushed voice.

 

Cody shrugged before nodding and removing the black vest that he wore and draping it aside without care, “Sure we do—there ain’t always places t’stop, y’know, and a man’s gotta rest sometime.” Ted’s eyes bugged almost comically as he noticed that Cody’s –amazingly- long fingers were beginning to undo his shirt buttons.

 

“I—“he hastily turned his back on Cody with a nervous laugh, “I’m surpri-surprised that you haven’t been sick in the past,” he tried to sound casual but the mere knowledge that Cody was undressing behind him, with only a damn bed separating them, was almost enough to have him bolting from the room like a skittish mare. However, he held firm, thinking himself stupid. Cody had promised that they would just sleep and he believed him… anything that may happen between them would happen on his terms alone. That thought was an equal mix of empowering and frightening and Ted wasn’t sure whether he would actually have the gall to go through with an approach on the man.

 

“You’re lookin’ kinda serious over there, Teddy, somethin’ wrong?” Ted jumped as warm breath brushed over his ear and he turned his head, mouth opening to speak—before his voice completely died in his throat as he was confronted by the sight of Cody’s muscular, golden torso. Sweet baby Jesus! His eyes traced from those prominent collarbones down the well-defined pectorals topped with dark nipples (and, Lord forgive him, but he wanted those in his mouth, and now) and down the ridges of muscle before he then ended up at-- at Cody’s undergarments. The man’s legs were exposed, strong no doubt from all the horse-riding and running he did, and the only thing that covered him was the underwear… and was it him or did Cody, um, seem a little, uh… big down there?

 

Though he’d never really needed to consider what he was like down below his belt-buckle, for no one else had ever been close enough to him in a situation wherein he had to be concerned, he was thinking about it then. Cody hadn’t seemed put off by what he was like before (actually, he seemed thrilled as he’d stroked Ted to the most intense climax he’d ever had) but Ted was suddenly thinking along the lines of: what if he was too small? What if he was too thick? What if…?

 

Swallowing audibly he then looked upwards, meeting the coolly amused eyes of the Dashing outlaw. “Don’t stop on my account,” Cody said in a sensual rumble, moving so that he was casually laid back on the bed with his legs crossed at the ankles and hands behind his head.

 

The air in the room suddenly seemed too thick for him to breathe comfortably, Ted feeling as though he was going to melt underneath his own clothing if he didn’t get out of it soon. Seeing how overwrought Ted was becoming Cody made a show of picking up his previously discarded hat and pulling it back on again, brim low over his eyes. He cautioned himself that he needn’t rush; he’d be getting to see the delicious Mr Smith without his clothes on before too long if he just played nice. Granted, this slowness was new to him, but for the life of him Cody couldn’t remember a time when he had wanted someone with such intensity. Usually he was in and then out, barely stopping to exchange goodbyes (much like his mentor, Randy) but in this instance he wasn’t looking forward to the goodbye part. He didn’t want to say goodbye to Ted, but it was much too dangerous for he and his friends to linger in America for much longer.

 

When the noose eased then maybe… maybe he could find Ted again. Oh, sure, conventionally they could never be together, but… and just what the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he thinking like this? Maybe he’d had a bit too much to drink earlier, and the sun exposure wouldn’t help. Nah: it was the distinct concentration of blood to his groin that was rendering him incapable of logical thought, leaving him at the mercy of flights of fancy. Suddenly, that shy, tilted drawl sounded to his side, the bed dipping and the covers shifting, “Um—you’re alright t’look now, Cody.” And Cody couldn’t get the hat off his head fast enough.

 

The irony of Ted looking like the perfect blushing bride wasn’t lost on him; were it not for the unspoken implication that it would be ‘unmanly’ of Ted he was sure the blonde would have had the covers pulled up to his chin in an adorable showing of shyness, but as it was he wasn’t and as such Cody was granted a perfect view of the blonde’s upper torso. Though Ted was much more muscular that he had taken a well-bred city boy as for being at first pop, that what he’d felt briefly through the material of Ted’s shirt changing his mind completely, was now being evidenced before him. That flawless chest led down to lickable looking abdominal muscles and Cody wished he could see lower. To his utter delight though there was a minor ‘imperfection’, that in Cody’s mind was only all the sexier.

 

There, at Ted’s waist, was a perfect little bulging of muscle that would fit perfectly in Cody’s hands were Cody to be leaning over that luscious body, pressing himself into the undoubtedly un-touched body of Ted’s, driving him into the highest state of bliss that two beings could achieve together as one. And, oh, he was sure he could make it good for Ted, and, because it was Ted and he was more than interested, Cody was sure it would be nothing but perfect for him in turn. Usually he preferred his partners with some experience under their belts but this time around he was very much approving of the fact that anything Ted knew was going to be what Cody taught him. He had to admit he was surprised that the sheriff hadn’t made a move. Then again, he was pretty much obsessed with Randy, so it stood to reason. Plus, he doubtless wouldn’t want to ‘corrupt’ Ted.

 

The lamp burned lowly at their side and Cody focused on the faint strains of music that reached the hotel from the square, and on Ted’s breathing. Seeing the goosebumps on Ted’s arm that was closest to him Cody moved off of the bed and lifted the covers up, getting underneath them. “You cold, Teddy?” he gave his most charming smile and then slowly reached out, wrapping his arms around the same waist he had held earlier, drawing that beautiful body close to his own, sparks seeming to flare between them where their skin touched. Cody’s breath caught and he leant in to Ted’s ear, “Let me warm you up,” he said, voice like crushed velvet to Ted’s naïve senses.

 

~:~

 

John’s strong legs were tight around his hips and Randy didn’t mind that at all. Feeling the little bump of John’s nipple hardening further into his mouth Randy then waited until he was sure John was completely lost in sensation before biting down sharply, though still with care. The action tore a breathy cry from John and Randy felt himself growing harder still. In the past he’d had partners complaining about his unfailing stamina (only once their tolerance and pleasure had been peaked of course) but John didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all. Actually, Randy mused as he swapped to bite and suckle at John’s other nipple, if the hardness beginning to press into his abdomen was anything to go by the sheriff was equally as insatiable as himself. Randy almost purred at the thought.

 

For so long he had been waiting for this moment, to have John Cena there in his arms and in his bed, and he’d be damned if one round was all he got from him. Before the night was through he promised himself that he was going to well and truly corrupt the “White Sheriff”, ensuring that he was forever etched into John’s mind… and other areas. John was no virgin that much Randy was sure of, but he certainly hadn’t had a good seeing-to recently.

 

Oh, but Randy would be happy to rectify that problem. Over and over and over again. Before the night was through he wanted John covered in his marks, in his seed, and with himself as the only tangible thought in John’s mind. Since that first time he had run into John Cena at the bank, since the day he had done his darndest to save the man’s life, Randy had vowed to himself that one day he would have John Cena… and now he had him he wasn’t sure that he was going to be pleased to let him go. “Shoulda known you’d like t’get down and dirty, sheriff—“Randy purred in a growl, biting down on John’s pec and stopping the man’s response by turning it into a harsh moan.

 

The hands holding the back of his head this time tightened, John’s fingers sliding through his short hair and seeming to pull him closer—as though Randy needed such encouragement. Pulling back a while later Randy smirked and traced his tongue around the love-bite he had left upon John’s body; the first of many, some of which he was going to make sure the sheriff didn’t cover, and that he wanted to make sure didn’t heal for days. He wanted to make sure that John remembered this night.

 

“Randy—“John groaned before Randy’s mouth crushed his own, swollen lips clashing and teeth catching together in ardour, Randy’s hands both braced on one of John’s thighs around him as well as fisted firmly in the rumpled sheets that John lay spread across, Randy still buried within him. The sheriff’s hands moved from his head and down to his shoulders, short nails digging into his flesh and no doubt leaving marks, possibly even drawing a little blood. Randy broke the kiss with a hiss of pleasurable pain, back arching, pushing himself –if possible- deeper into John. His head tilted down, smouldering steely grey-blues locking with electrified baby-blues.

 

“Like it rough, John?” he growled, seeing the way John’s muscles rippled and his cock visibly pulsed at the rough words and even rougher tone, “That’s good. Real good in fact—‘cause I ain’t gonna give ya anythin’ but.”

 

On that note he gripped John’s hips and lifted the elder man’s ass cleanly from the bed, placing his weight forward on his knees and drawing out before thrusting back in hard. “Ah, shit!” John gasped, eyes rolling up his head momentarily as his hands blindly flailed for something to grab onto, finally settling onto the head of the wooden and metal bed, hands twining around the headboard.

 

Watching the corded muscles tensing and flexing in John’s arms he tried to keep himself grounded had Randy pushing just that little bit deeper and harder into the willing body underneath him. The bed was beginning to creak underneath them noisily but Randy didn’t give two tin-shits; no one was in, or if they were they would probably be too drunk to take much notice. Or, they’d take leafs outta his and John’s books and get down to their own business as it were. From how he held John’s lower-body up, the man’s gorgeously broad shoulders pressing down into the bed because of it, Randy could see that he had left crescent nail indents in John’s buttocks, the sight sending a possessive thrill through him. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said before that John was his, and he was going to make sure that the sheriff knew it.

 

Screw it—by the end of the night he was going to have John admitting it.

 

John was enthralled by the sight over him; Randy’s face was a mask of erotic concentration, his chest and abdomen still splattered with the earlier release he had coaxed from John, his arm muscles rippling along with those in that godly abdomen as he continued to pound into John. Never before had being submissive felt so good, and though the alpha-male in him protested somewhat to being held down like he was, there was another part of him that said it was Ok to submit because he was submitting to his equal. Oh, if his dad could see him now. Hell, if anyone who knew him even vaguely could see him now they’d never believe it… and he wasn’t just referring to the fact that he had a man’s cock buried deep inside of his ass, riding him for all he was worth.

 

Eyes rolling up into his head slightly as he felt Randy’s cock rock forcefully into his prostate once more, John moaned like a shameless whore, no shame to be felt in the face of such undeniable pleasure. Once more he intended to bring a hand down to aid him in bringing himself off—and once again Randy stopped him. Eyes flying open again as the hand around his wrist tightened a little, John made a sound of frustrated protest as he tried to bring the other hand down. That too was caught in Randy’s hand, forcing them both back over his head even as he continued to roll his hips in and out of John, the obscene music of skin-on-skin over-riding any possible strains of music that would have reached them from the square further down the road.

 

Clenching his hands into fists underneath Randy’s he then tried to get free, realising all too quickly that Randy had no intention whatsoever to let his up. Trying to arch his hips to gain friction from Randy’s abdomen against his weeping, aching manhood, John almost howled with desperate irritation when Randy merely arched his torso away from John.

 

“Bastard!” he finally managed to pant out, eyes burning at him.

 

Randy gained what John supposed was a ‘shit-eatin’-grin’, as he had heard charmingly referred to once by some low-slung, disgustingly grubby hoodlum that he’d apprehended in town back when he had first taken his position as sheriff. “Somethin’ wrong, John-boy?” he asked, sounding as unconcerned and casual as though he was merely reading a book and not fucking John into oblivion.

 

Maybe it was a good idea on both parts that they were staying for a few days because there was every chance that by the time tomorrow rolled around they would not be able to sit on horses… if they could even walk, that was.

 

“Don’t— fuckin’— play— dumb—“John panted, a droplet of sweat running down his jaw and down the column of his neck, head rolling to one side as Randy’s greedy tongue chased it. “You know what I want!” John ground out, thighs tightening around Randy even as his arms strained uselessly. If he really wanted to then he was sure he could break free, but the fact that he didn’t proved how much he really didn’t mind being held captive to Randy.

 

“Beg me for it,” Randy said, eyes flaring, John’s own widening in abject disbelief though the passionate fire within them didn’t die out even a little bit. “You heard me, John—“he growled, trailing his eyes to John’s pulsing, leaking length and knowing that it would maybe take a touch at most to bring him over, and not being completely sure he wanted to do that right then. It was much more fun to tease, to draw it out.

 

“Fuck—you--!” John managed through moans, the heat of the words lost in gasps.

 

“Maybe later,” Randy panted, biting his lip as John’s inner-muscles tightened and flexed around him in a manner that he swore had to be making his head spin, “But right now, I’m the one doing the fucking, Sheriff, and if you wanna cum then you better start working that whore-mouth of yours to tell me how much you want it!”

 

Being called a whore was in no way flattering, but to hear it in that gravelly, impassioned tone, had John pulsing even harder and he slammed his head back onto the pillows as best he could, his hips pumping to keep pushing himself back on Randy’s incessant cock.

 

“You bastard—“ John gripped the sheets above his head, staring back at Randy with a combination of anger and lust in his eyes. Randy was smirking at him, the shit. “You’re goin’ ta pay for this later—“

 

“Lookin’ forward to it.” Randy gave a single hard thrust inside him, making him cry out loudly and then went back to the maddening pace where John simply couldn’t get the satisfaction he craved. “Say it.”

 

“Randy please!” John didn’t even realise the words were on his tongue until they escaped and once said, he couldn’t seem to stop himself or even to care who heard him. Oh, but he was going to get his own back once their roles were reversed. “Fuck me, touch me, right now!”

 

Music to Randy’s ears; he thrust himself mercilessly into John, wrapping his hand around John’s cock and pumping it over him. Now he’d heard the words he wanted, he wanted to bring the other off quickly – a lesson, if one liked, that it was well worth doing as he asked. He knew that John would be out to prove something later on as well and that was even better.

 

Moments later John was writhing beneath him, letting loose a stream of curses that no good-boy sheriff should ever know as he gave in to orgasm, tightening deliciously around Randy as his back ached off the bed, slamming himself down on the other. A couple more thrusts into that tight heat was all it took for Randy to be joining him, battering into John so hard that once he had come back to himself, he would wonder just how the man was going to walk the next day.


	8. Chapter Seven: Getting To Know You Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan continues picking up where he and Chris left off, Cody teaches Ted more about sensual explorations and John gets revenge on Randy for making him beg...

The first time he had arrived in Bone Orchard, before Evan had crept into Chris’ window, Evan had made plenty of flirtatious, teasing comments about Chris not being able to keep up with him thanks to his age. But Chris had proven to him then that having a few years on Evan didn’t make him an old man and it seemed that the same applied two years later as well; they may have slowed things down after their initial frenzied reunion but Chris showed no sign of fatigue – which was as well for Evan, since he felt energised enough to last the entire night just as they had said. 

Of course, the past wasn’t Evan’s main focus as Chris continued to thrust sharply up into him, Evan matching every movement with a curse or moan. One hand rested on Chris’ chest, the other roaming his skin, fingers playing with the man’s nipples before sliding up to tug on blonde hair – Chris’ hair was longer than Evan ever allowed his to grown and he never stopped wanting to bury his hands there before yanking Chris in for a kiss – at least that had been how it was when they were parted and reality hadn’t blunted that desire. And a moment later they were kissing again, sweat-slicked chests pressed together briefly, neither of them stopping their movements. Evan gave a shuddering moan that was lost in Chris’ mouth as the older man slipped his hands over Evan’s skin, coming to rest on his buttocks and parting them further before driving into him again. As Evan broke the kiss and leaned up again, Chris was struck by just how he looked, utterly surrendered to the moment.

“Chris—“ Evan’s hand slid over his own torso, slicked by sweat and his previous release and to Chris’ unwavering gaze appearing like some wanton angel come to seduce him mind, body and soul, and succeeding. Never losing rhythm, Evan started stroking himself – more than that, Chris realised; so consumed in the intense but almost leisurely pace they’d set, he was moving his thumb over the head in lazy motions, smearing precum and sweat over himself in deliberate, almost obscene movements, giving Chris a show like he’d never even dreamed of seeing before. His eyes were riveted, body becoming increasingly drawn to the edge by the way in which Evan flexed around him, using his inner muscles to massage every inch of Chris’ cock. 

Mesmerised, Chris was almost afraid of breaking Evan’s concentration but in the end he simply couldn’t help himself; he moved his hands from Evan’s ass to the tops of the other man’s thighs, feeling the muscles beneath his hands twitch. Those sensual noises Evan made had grown louder in volume, drawn-out whenever Chris touched his prostate and the light caress of his hands had Evan staring directly into his eyes, his own clouded in lust. “Chris, please—“ Chris didn’t have to ask what he wanted, one of his hands going to Evan’s balls and feeling the way they tightened noticeably at his touch. Evan didn’t stop moving over Chris or stroking himself, but the ragged, desperate sound he made and the way their easy pace suddenly increased at his insistence told Chris that Evan was close again, for the second time that night. An ego boost indeed, that he could satisfy this incredible young man so well, but for once Chris wasn’t thinking about his own ego. 

Chris squeezed lightly and suddenly Evan was crying out, almost convulsing on top of him as he came, harder than Chris would have thought possible so soon after their first time. Caught in his pleasure, Evan started riding Chris much harder, the muscles around his cock clenching tightly and causing Chris to widen his eyes, gasping out as he realised he wasn’t going to be able to do anything to hold off any longer, nor did he want to. His hands went back to Evan’s thighs and gripped hard enough to bruise as he pound harder into Evan, shouting his rapture to the ceiling as he climaxed within his lover once again. Even once the initial ecstasy had passed he found that his body was trembling with the after effects of the experience. 

Fighting for his breath back, Evan barely managed to avoid complete collapse, resting himself on Chris’ chest with no thought as to allowing the other from inside him. Even with the sex over, there was something about feeling Chris that he liked too much to hurriedly be done with, something intimate. And being this close to Chris’ rapidly cooling skin, hearing his heart beat in his chest, that was intimate too and something he’d never known with any other bedmate. “How do you always do that to me?” he murmured in Chris’ ear, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. 

“Gifted,” returned Chris with a slightly smug tone in his weary voice that made Evan chuckle slightly. For a while longer they were quiet, Evan feeling more at peace than he had in a long, long time. 

But in the end he didn’t want to crush his lover or hinder his breathing and sat up reluctantly, allowing Chris to slip out of him. “I’m kinda thirsty.”

“I got a pitcher of water in the kitchen,” said Chris, sitting up himself and clearly about to get up and retrieve it, until Evan rested a hand on his chest and gave him a stern look. 

“I’ll go get it. You stay here.” He flashed the man a broad, somewhat wicked smile. “Save your energy for more important things.”

Chris chuckled as Evan stood up, unashamedly naked and heading for the other room. “Y’know, there’s no curtains in the kitchen. What’re the neighbours gonna think if they look in the window?”

“That it’s you and you’re lookin’ damned fine for a man of your age,” returned Evan cheerily. Chris flipped him the middle finger and Evan returned the gesture, smirking as he left the room. Chris shook his head and lay back on the rug, feeling slightly achy considering it had been a while, but good. So much that had seemed complicated and annoying seemed suddenly unimportant and that was no doubt because Evan had returned and taken centre stage in his life again, after only a few hours. 

He didn’t think that Evan had talked his gang into returning to Bone Orchard so that he could hook up with the Mayor once more, but then they hadn’t really talked about why Evan was back. A place to lay low for awhile seemed like the most likely scenario, since Evan had spoken of being wanted, an outlaw and they knew that Chris and the people of Bone Orchard would never turn them in – well, most of the people. But Evan and his friends were rootless, prone to fits of wanderlust and unable to settle down because they were always looking over their shoulder. Just because Evan was there that night didn’t mean he would be there the next day. And Chris would have like nothing more than to ensure Evan was with him the next night, and all the ones after that, regardless of how much of a pipe dream that was. Even without Evan’s wanted status, there was no way he could admit his feelings for another man. Losing his mayoral position was the least of it, he would probably be lucky to keep his teeth in his head when the other men decided to teach him a lesson for his sinful desires. Not that Chris could bring himself to care overmuch about the opinions of others. It was Evan vanishing that kept coming back to him, leaving that same gaping hole in his life that he had done the last time he had gone. 

Chris frowned at the ceiling. To hell with it, he decided. It wouldn’t last forever or even for long, but in the here and now he had the man he’d never thought he’d see again. There was no need to look a gift horse in the mouth, he should enjoy the time he had and be damned grateful he’d gotten this second chance. Most people never did get back the best thing that ever happened to them once they were gone. 

“Lookin’ serious,” said Evan’s voice from the door – in his bare feet, Chris hadn’t even heard him approaching. “Or maybe you were fallin’ asleep?”

“With you around? Don’t think you’d let me.” Chris turned his head to the side and was rather amused by what he saw; Evan with the pitcher in his hand, two glasses in the other and the blanket from his bed draped over his shoulder. “You’ve been upstairs? You’re a sneaky bastard, didn’t even hear you go up and those stairs creak somethin’ dreadful.”

“You forget.” Evan looked at the demolished table and smirked ruefully, kneeling beside Chris to put the water on the floor. “I crept into your room before without your say-so.”

“Please tell me you didn’t climb up the side of the house in the altogether.”

“I never give away my secrets. Just wanted a few things from up there.” 

“Like the blanket.” Chris raised his eyebrows as Evan dumped it on the floor. “Any reason why we didn’t just go up the stairs to it?”

“Told you, I like things more adventurous than in the bed.” Evan gave a grin. “More room to move down here. But we wouldn’t wanna get cold between times.”

“You’re prepared.” Chris reached to the pitcher and poured himself half a glass, drinking up in three swallows, rather startled when Evan’s lips pressed against his neck. Lowering the glass, he looked sideways at the other man. 

“You have no idea how prepared I am,” said Evan rather smugly, reaching in the folds of the blanket and removing the lubricating lotion that was a hot seller at the drugstore, although strangely no one in town would admit to buying. “Found this in your drawer. Looks like I’m not the only one who’s prepared.”

Chris was about to complain indignantly about the way Evan had delved into his things, but given what it was and what they were using it for, wouldn’t that just cause a delay and bad feelings that he didn’t want around them that night? And Evan had probably known there’d be something of that nature around. Still, he couldn’t help the slight frown that marred his features and seeing it Evan chuckled lightly, kissing Chris on the forehead where his brow creased. 

“Remembered where you kept it from last time,” he said pointedly, the slightly indulgent look on his face becoming more wicked as he removed the lid and dipped his fingers into the substance. Chris found he couldn’t look away as Evan rubbed his fingers together, coating the digits more thoroughly. “So why don’t you like back and let the young ‘un do the work for awhile?”

~:~

As Cody drew him closer, Ted felt like his heart was about to break right through his chest with the force of its beating, his breathing more laboured than usual. It had occurred to him of course that Cody might wish to coax more out of him and them sharing a bed would be the perfect place to do it, but he hadn’t focused on that because there was a shockingly large part of him that desperately hoped that the man would. Now it seemed that the moment was at hand, there was even less of him willing to protest. Less than an hour before he had been rutting into Cody’s hand and yet that part of him was ready once more to make its interest felt, making Ted feel like he was literally two people; the one who hoped Cody didn’t realise and the part of him that wished more than anything that he would...

But Cody didn’t close the gap between their faces to kiss him. Instead his hands stayed on Ted’s waist, his body pressing against Ted’s, a leg moving between Ted’s without actually brushing against his returning erection. Ted felt oddly confused by this turn of events, wondering if he had been so awestruck by Cody’s body that he had imagined some mood that wasn’t really there – and then Cody’s hand moved from his waist, going to his arm and stroking circles over the goose-bumped flesh there. Ted’s mind flashed back to Cody’s seductive drawl telling him he’d warm him up – well, even without the sexual contact it was working. Everywhere Cody was touching him felt warmer than usual, hyper-aware of the man sharing the bed with him. And it felt good too. He gave a contented sound as the goose-bumps melted away, causing Cody to give a slight chuckle that had Ted looking questioningly at him. 

“Told ya I was gonna behave myself,” Cody said and Ted found himself blushing once more, given how easily it seemed his thoughts had been read. Cody actually pulled his head back and for a panicked moment Ted thought he’d insulted the man, until he realised that Cody was looking at his neck and chest. “That flush goes all the way down,” he said with honest admiration in his voice and Ted didn’t know what to make of it – Cody liked making him blush? He always felt gauche and foolish when he gave himself away like that. But the moment was brief, Cody nestling back into his space again and giving him a half-smile that seemed almost – nervous? It couldn’t be that of course, Cody was unlikely to be nervous around him, especially given that Ted was in his underwear. He imagined he didn’t cut an imposing figure for the likes of the outlaw. 

“Cody, please...” Ted’s voice caught a little and he swallowed to cover the momentary lapse. “Please don’t.”

Cody’s hand stilled immediately, although he didn’t remove it, his whole body seeming to tense up ready to move away. “Don’t what?”

“Behave yourself.” Ted gave the man a rather shy but determined smile, his own arm slipping rather timidly around the others waist (and noticing the way Cody’s skin felt beneath his own). “I thought maybe – maybe I could warm you up too?”

Cody’s eyes widened a fraction and he managed to hide the jubilation that came over him; he had hoped so much that Ted would allow him to show just how good he could make him feel, worship that incredible body that Ted’s clothing hid, but he hadn’t really considered that Ted would feel himself ready to do more than experience those things for himself. That Ted would want to do those things to him as well gave him a thrill of lust through his whole body, but probably he should have expected that kind of behaviour from the other – those kisses had proven that Ted was certainly not passive and the passion he’d shown was only a fraction of what Cody suspected was repressed. The thought of Ted demanding his pleasure, Ted’s inexperienced hands growing more confident as Cody told him how to touch him... the thought made his mouth dry and his cock twitch within the confines of underwear that he’d worn only to protect Ted’s sensibilities. 

Before he could say anything Ted moved, his lips brushing Cody’s apprehensively – an apprehension that faded almost instantly as Cody reciprocated, both of them reaching their arms around each other, moving closer. Ted caught his breath as he felt Cody pressing against him – just as he had thought earlier, Cody seemed big and he came briefly close to reconsidering. And then Cody’s hand was on his chest, calloused fingertips brushing over his skin and the thought was gone. 

Cody’s fingers found his nipple, brushing over the nub and Ted gasped as sheer desire flooded through him. It hadn’t even occurred to him that those could be anything like an erogenous zone but Cody had proven him wrong, that felt damned good. A rush of blood surged to his cock and he moaned slightly, pressing his lower body into Cody’s, suddenly desperate to touch Cody himself. He’d seen that amazing body, now flush against his own and he wanted more... and the way Cody caressed him lit a fire inside him. It would be so gratifying if his own touch could do the same thing. 

Still kissing Cody, Ted moved his hands over Cody’s back, tracing the curve of his spine to the top of his underwear, hesitating a little before moving it up again. Cody shivered a little, his hand going from Ted’s chest to wrap around him again and in a sudden movement rolling them both so that Ted was atop him. Startled, Ted broke the kiss and leant up, over Cody, staring down at the man and silently asking what was happening. 

“You can touch me Teddy,” said Cody in a low voice, his arms still around Ted to keep him from perhaps leaving the bed. “It’s alright.”

Ted gazed at the man a moment, thinking that Cody seemed more serious than he’d ever seen the man. And the look in his eyes – Ted had never seen such a look directed at him before. Hope and need and desire... for him. Ted made himself more comfortable, leaning up on one hand and tracing a hand slowly over Cody’s chest. The skin he felt beneath his fingers was smooth, the occasional faint scar or blemish seeming to emphasise the overall perfection. He went to the column of Cody’s neck, feeling the pulse there somewhat more rapid than he would have expected, meeting Cody’s eyes and trailing kisses over that neck. 

Emboldened by Cody’s reaction – he heard the gasp and it made him smile rather triumphantly – he allowed himself free rein on the other, studying his reactions almost like he was going to get tested on it later, or so Cody would have said. Every reaction was gauged, ever murmur of pleasure remembered and as far as Ted was concerned, the best part was that Cody allowed him to go at his own pace, doing what he liked. There was no subtle guiding or orders, which Ted would have expected considering how slowly he was going, just Cody’s hands on his shoulders, reassuring him that everything was okay.

Eventually Ted allowed his fingers to wander to the edge of Cody’s underwear, lips brushing daringly over a nipple and hearing the low moan from Cody at the action. It was rather thrilling that Cody seemed to be reacting to what he did in such a positive way and for a moment he debated slipping his fingers beneath the fabric as Cody had done for him – but in the end, he didn’t quite dare. Instead he brushed the hardness within through the garment, startled from his reverie by the sudden quiet cry Cody gave and the way he arched toward Ted’s hand. Ted almost jerked his hand away – damn, what he felt under there was hot rather than just warm, pulsing slightly – but stopped himself, rubbing the whole length with rather nervous fingers. 

“Ted—“ Cody’s tone was pleading, the first time he’d actually asked for anything more than Ted had known himself ready to give and Ted honestly believed that Cody didn’t intend the name to have escaped. A thrill went through him. He made Cody feel this way? This was power and more than that, it was arousing him at least as much as it did Cody. 

Taking a breath and admonishing himself that there was really nothing to be concerned about, Ted moved his hand to pull Cody’s undergarments down slightly, freeing him from the confines. Looking down between their bodies, Ted’s breath caught and reality came back suddenly. What the hell had he been thinking? He had no idea what to do from here!

Cody saw the sudden fear in Ted’s eyes and knew that the man had pushed himself as far as he was going to be able to do. Left as he had been to take his time, he was going to panic and truthfully, Cody hadn’t believed for a moment that Ted would allow things to go as far as they had done. It was time to guide him a little better. 

His hands on Ted’s shoulders, he coaxed the other to lying on the bed beside him, facing him. Ted looked worried, like Cody was about to admonish him and Cody smiled a little, leaning in to kiss the man. “God Ted, that’s all so good,” he murmured quietly, his hand moving to free Ted from his own clothing. “Let me show you, take care of you—“

Ted gave him a look that told Cody he was concerned he’d done something wrong, but Cody reassured him with another kiss, giving Ted’s cock a stroke and then reaching for his hand. Linking their fingers together, he drew Ted’s hand down, aligning himself so that their cocks brushed together and then guiding Ted to wrap his hand around them both. 

Ted was almost certain he was about to combust. Cody’s hand on him was incredible, but feeling Cody’s cock so close to his own was a whole new level of eroticism. Moaning in his throat, he thrust himself into their joined hands, Cody moving with him already slick and more than ready. Unlike touching himself alone, he didn’t feel awkward or guilty, all he felt was the was Cody pulsed and thrust against him. 

Cody leaned in to kiss him again and all thought of taking things slow went out of the window as the two of them moved against each other, using quick, hard motions, searching for the payoff. Cody realised it might be the closest he ever got to actually taking the other man – he was under no illusions that this seemed incredibly daring and forward for Ted and damned but he wasn’t complaining. To an outsider, they probably looked like that was just what they were doing, lusty cries and the creaking of the bed filling the room. 

Ted made a sudden shocked sound, making as if to draw away and Cody knew that the other was to close to stop, concerned about the outcome and cumming on him. Cody moved his free arm, threading it in Ted’s hair and breaking their messy kiss. “Stay,” he said hoarsely and Ted did just as he was told, thrusting against Cody’s hand against and meeting Cody’s eyes for a brief moment before crying out loudly, spilling himself over the both of them. The heat and the sudden slickness against Cody’s already throbbing erection drew Cody’s own reaction, his own release spilling over Ted, in his hand – and to his sudden startled delight he realised that Ted’s hand was still moving over him, coaxing out every drop. 

Ted gasped a little, accepting the kiss that Cody gave him with a lazy smile that left him a moment later. “Let me uh, get a towel,” he said, the flush that had covered his face during climax still there or else Cody would have sworn he was looking embarrassed. Cody rested a hand on Ted’s chest to keep him where he was. 

“Let me,” he said, voice lower than usual, crooking the other a grin and getting out of the bed. Ted should be allowed to revel in his afterglow, the first time he had made another man (hell, another person) feel the way Cody did then – sated, satisfied and pleased as hell with the way things had gone for them. Getting out of the bed, he searched the darkness until he found the water jug and a towel laid neatly on the side, wetting it and leaning over Ted to clean him up. The man shivered lightly as the cold water touched his skin, but Cody couldn’t help that. He didn’t think Ted would want to lie in the evidence of their ardour – at least, not yet. 

When they were both clean (and there was nothing he could do about the sheets) Cody dropped the towel on the floor and slid back into the bed, drawing Ted into his arms. Goddamn, he never wanted to leave this man, ever, and knowing he had no choice in the matter didn’t make things any better.

“You warm now?” he asked quietly and smiled as he heard Ted’s quiet laugh.

~:~

Chris was fairly holding his breath as Evan hummed lightly as he inspected his fingers, apparently satisfied with how slick they were, anxious anticipation welling within him. Evan hadn’t been the first person to ‘top’ him that night two years ago when the roles had been reversed, but he sure hadn’t had anyone top him since. Even though he’d had not two incredible orgasms under the space of an hour, the most recent being maybe not now ten, fifteen minutes before, he could feel a tingling in his groin. “Lift yer legs for me, Chris,” Evan commanded lightly and Chris braced his feet flat on the ground, a light pink flush covering his cheeks as he opened himself for his young lover. A small sound left Evan and Chris felt his heart jump.

Carefully, ever conscious of hurting Chris and somehow taking away from his potential pleasure of the moment, Evan eased his index-finger into the tightness of Chris’ entrance. Though the lubricating solution helped the process there was still a few moments wherein Chris had to be coaxed into remembering to breathe and to relax himself. Slowly the finger was soon buried inside of Chris into the knuckle, giving small wiggles as Chris adjusted himself to the intrusion. Opening his eyes from where they had fallen shut Chris found himself confronted by the boyishly aroused and concerned expression of Evan’s, the younger man biting his bottom lip in obvious concentration. Damn, was there an expression than Evan didn’t make adorable and sexy?

Easing the finger out and then pressing it back in Evan worked his way to a second finger. A low moan left Chris as it breached his muscles, feeling the two digits caressing before they began to scissor him, stretching him, preparing him for something that was going to be /much/ thicker than even three fingers. “Y’alright?” Evan drawled in that thick, lusty drawl and Chris shivered as he nodded. Evan suddenly leant down, brushing a kiss over both of Chris’ inner-thighs, his mouth starting to travel lower. The sensation of his renewed erection brushing against Evan’s smooth cheek made Chris choke on a short breath momentarily—but when the tongue ran over him he stopped breathing altogether.

Meeting Chris’ eyes from his position between Chris’ thighs, Evan then slipped the other a little wink before taking the head of Chris’ cock into his mouth and beginning to suckle upon it gently. His fingers pressed just that little bit deeper into Chris’ body, mentally trying to coax himself to not be afraid to seek out the little nub of pleasure hidden within Chris’ body. Just as he was beginning to get concerned that he’d not find it with (his now three) fingers Chris suddenly tensed around him and cried out, Evan mercilessly pressing against the little bump just to make sure. “There he is,” he murmured, removing his mouth from Chris momentarily. As Evan began to prod at the spot gently, and then harder, Chris was beginning to writhe and pant, clawing at the rug underneath their bodies. “Evan—Evvy, Evvy, /now!/” he mewed out, Evan shivering at the sinful noises Chris was making.

Giving a final teasing press against Chris’ prostate he then eased his hand out of him. Grabbing the lubricant Evan hissed out between his teeth as the cold solution touched his heated flesh, stroking himself a few times to get an even coating. Mentally praying that he didn’t disgrace himself too soon the ravenette then moved over his blonde lover. Taking Chris’ legs he placed them over his shoulders, meeting the other man’s gratifyingly lust-blown eyes, “This Ok?” he asked breathlessly, not wanting Chris to be uncomfortable but not being sure at the same time that he could cope with a longer wait. “Yes!” Chris groaned, uncaring how shameless he looked trying to lift his hips up.

Chuckling breathily Evan murmured, “Alright baby, I gotcha, calm down—“he placed himself at Chris’ entrance and slowly started to sink into the almost unbearably tight muscle. Simultaneous moans left both men, Evan’s head dropping back slightly as he gripped Chris’ hips, Chris’ head thrashing from side to side in his own pleasure and minor pain as Evan pressed deeper and deeper into him. After what seemed like a maddeningly blissful eternity Evan was balls-deep inside of him Chris could feel his buttocks resting on the man’s thighs.

Since Chris was breathing rather hard Evan gave him (and himself) a few moments to get used to the sensation. Unable to help himself as he caught sight of the unblemished flesh resting on either side of his head Evan twisted his face enough to take a gentle bite into Chris’ thigh, nibbling and sucking on the spot to leave a marking behind. Chris moaned a little brokenly at the sensation, it shooting straight down to his cock. Pulling back after a few moments Evan then pressed a kiss to the spot and looked down at Chris. As the unspoken question flashed between them the mayor nodded vigorously.

Shifting on his knees slightly Evan then started to ease himself out of Chris before he rolled his hips to thrust back in. Through the window overhead he could make out that the sky was darkening and vaguely he wondered about whether the party had ended or not since the music hadn’t been audible from Chris’ homestead—but then Chris suddenly released a high-pitched moan that had Evan uncaring as to whether the whole damn town ended up outside the window to continue the party, because that wouldn’t have made him stop regardless. Hell, the only thing that he was sure would make him stop right then was only God himself wanting to smite him down. And even then he’d happily trace his place in Heaven to Satan and his minions if it meant that he could come back to the mortal realm and to Chris. He’d rather sin with this man than face Paradise alone.

“Gosh-darn Chris, you feel so fuckin’ /tight/,” Evan moaned, his hips beginning to up their speed somewhat even though he was keeping his motions deliberately shallow; he didn’t want to end things too soon even though he knew that that would not be the first time that night where he’d have his cock buried inside Chris’ delicious ass. “So good… could fuck ya over n’ over n’ never get bored of it.” Chris was most certainly glad to hear that, though speech didn’t seem as easy for him to muster as it did for Evan. With each thrust Evan made into his body his own cock jumped and before too long the throbbing between his thighs was becoming beyond distracting and he knew he needed a release, and soon.

“Evan,” he panted, “Harder. I ain’t made of glass boy, fuck me!” he knew that Evan would be pretty miffed about him calling him ‘boy’, and the growled, “I gotcher /boy/ right here, Mayor!” was the only warning Chris got before Evan started to drive into him mercilessly. Choking on his own breath momentarily Chris released an embarrassingly high-pitched cry of triumph, “Fuck, Evan, /yes!/” before he was reduced back to barely intelligible moans and gasps, his hands clawing at the carpet, uncaring that his writhing was probably going to result in carpet burns. 

~:~

“Yes, very much so,” Ted murmured, finally succumbing to his earlier urge and resting his head upon Cody’s chest. The steady, surprisingly quick, tempo underneath his ear was oddly relaxing and had he not been so consciously aware of the fact that he and Cody were both naked, and twined together, then the sound would probably have been enough to send him into what he was sure would be the most contented sleep he had ever had. The feeling was only increased when Cody began to run his fingers through his hair, almost making Ted purr like a damn house-cat as he did so. This was nice… this was really very nice indeed, and the realisation that this might be the only night he got to have with Cody like this, made Ted all the more determined to savour it.

He had never expected to feel like this about anyone, let alone another man, and it was all so exhilarating and downright terrifying all at once, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do now. Cody had said he was Ok to touch him, and touch him he had, and then they had done /that/ together… his body tingled at the mere memory and Ted was rather startled to discover that the sun must have gone down sometime recently since the small gap in the curtains revealed that the sky had darkened. John still hadn’t returned and so Ted was forced to admit to himself that he wasn’t the only one who was, ahem, /engaging in bed company/ that night.

“Cody…” Ted suddenly spoke softly and Cody tilted his head a little to look down at where Ted’s head rested on his chest, “Hm?” he murmured and Ted exhaled a sigh that Cody felt tickle across his pec, “Have you always been like this?” for a moment Cody wasn’t sure what Ted meant and so hesitated in responding. Did Ted mean had he always been /gay/, or had he always been an /outlaw/? Either way he decided to give a response, sincerely doubting that Ted might use any of the information that he learnt against him— if he was going to do such a thing then he doubted Ted would have let them go as far as they had, regardless of how intimacy starved he had been in the past, especially since Cody was another man and men of their persuasion didn’t take dalliances too lightly unless they were confident they’d get away with it.

“I’ve always known I liked boys,” Cody said, “But it was only when a new stable-hand brought his son to my family’s ranch that I truly realised the degree of /which/ I liked boys,” jealousy flashed through Ted at the thought of someone else being with Cody the way he had, even though he knew deep down he had no right to feel guilty and it was hardly surprising that men had had an interest in Cody before, because he was /absolutely amazing/… it was only when Ted realised that Cody was still talking that he hastened to tune back into the conversation, “—but, believe it or not I ain’t always been like this. I ran away from home when I was about seventeen, joined up with Randy and found Evan, and I’ve been together with those guys ever since.”

“How old are you?” Ted asked without really thinking, blushing violently then as he stammered, “I-I’m sorry, that was rude—“Cody looked amused more so than anything at his bumbling, obviously pitying him because he responded with, “I’m 20.” Ted’s eyes widened a little bit, head cocking slightly, “You’ve been an outlaw for just three years?” Considering their track-record he had to admit he was expecting that they’d been functioning longer as a group. Cody chuckled lowly nodding his head, “Yeah. Randy’s the oldest of us all, he’s 23. Evan’s 21, recently turned, actually.” At Ted’s expression Cody arched a brow and grinned, “You thought he was the youngest, right?” vaguely he found himself wondering whether Evan would be angry if he knew Ted had thought that, Cody musing, “Everyone always thinks that, he’s used to it,” as though he had read Ted’s mind.

“Why did you run away?” Ted asked softly, turning in Cody’s arms so that he was laid on the other’s chest somewhat, meeting Cody’s eyes. Cody’s brow furrowed slightly, a frown touching his lips; the expression was so dark and at-odds with the expressions that he usually saw on Cody’s face that a strange flicker of unease went through him. “If you don’t want to answer it’s alright—“he hastened to assure, but then Cody sighed and shook his head, “Nah, don’t worry about it, I’ll tell ya. It was a long time ago now after all, but…” he sighed and cleared his throat softly, arms adjusting into a more comfortable position around Ted. “I was forced into an engagement with a girl I had grown up with,” Cody said.

“I wasn’t thrilled about it but I guess I’d always known it was coming. I mean, our parents were always pushing us together, our fathers were partners in a cattle breeding business and suchlike.” It took Ted a few moments to realise that this was the blandest and most emotionless he had ever heard Cody’s voice to be, and it was very ominous. “So, the day of the weddin’ was gettin’ closer, and one day I had to go to her family’s home to give her something. No one answered the door, not even the maids, and I thought this was weird so I went in.”

Cody shook his head, lip curling in distaste, “I went into the kitchen and there she was, with /two/ men. It was… well, back then I was just a pretty naïve young man despite what small experiments I had made in my earlier years. I was still a virgin at least. Anyway, she took one look at me, screamed and pushed the two men away, trying to pull her dress up and sputterin’ excuses at me. The two men were servants, lower than ‘our class’—“the way Cody said that made Ted internally rejoice and quail at once; Cody was obviously of rather high birth pedigree which meant they would have been able to socialise together, but then he obviously didn’t seem to like being as such. “I didn’t stop. I turned around, walked out of her house, rode back to mine, and refused to marry her.” A bitter smile touched Cody’s lips, “It was the best decision that I ever made but my father didn’t think so.”

“What happened?” Ted whispered and Cody pressed a kiss to the end of Ted’s nose, breaking the man’s serious expression for a moment as he gave a shy giggle and smile, quieting as Cody seemed to be finishing up his tale, “We fought, long and hard, for hours. In the end my father said I was obviously lying about what she’d been doin’ with the servants because /I/ must have been the one doin’ somethin’ wrong with her, and that she was obviously /in trouble/,” Cody raised a brow and Ted nodded in understanding, “-and that it was about time I manned-up. So I did: I told him to stick his inheritance up his jacksie, and that she could carry on as she pleased, but I’d have no part in it. I left that very night with no more than my savings and the clothes on my back.” Seeing the expression on Ted’s face Cody cupped his cheek and leant down, engaging the still shy man in a slow, deep kiss, swearing that he could actually feel Ted melting against him at the sensation.

Breaking the kiss, Cody started to trail small, nipping ones over Ted’s jaw and neck, “I wasn’t in love with her, Ted. I was more upset by the fact that I’d been the one taken for a fool whilst she was whorin’ herself out. I didn’ want my family sullyin’ its name and hard work because o’ her, but in the end I was the one in t’wrong. I ain’t been home since.” That strange jealous feeling was momentarily assuaged in his chest at Cody’s admittance that he hadn’t loved her, a little hope that he barely dared to acknowledge that /he/ might be the one to break that pattern— the thought was lost suddenly as Cody began to lightly nibble and lick his pulse-point. “Ooh…” Ted moaned softly, head lolling to the side, and Cody internally rejoiced; he hadn’t really meant to say all of that, and now Ted was all upset. Well, he’d just have to remedy that wouldn’t he? Gently, so as not to startle or overwhelm Ted, Cody eased his body over the other’s, and felt his heart skip when Ted’s legs subconsciously parted for him to allow Cody to rest between them. As their bodies brushed Ted gasped louder and Cody licked at the blonde’s man’s bottom lip, “You taste so sweet,” he murmured softly.

~:~

The only sound in the room once the bed had stopped creaking was the combined aftermath of Randy and John’s heavy breathing. After his orgasm had been all but wrenched out of him by the sight and sensation of John underneath him, Randy hadn’t been able to keep himself up any longer and had all but collapsed atop the equally exhausted and most definitely sated John. The only plus-side of that happening this time around was that John wasn’t some little twink; he was a properly built man like himself, and so he probably wouldn’t be as bother by his weight for a bit.

“Goddamn…” John murmured, fingers absently tracing over Randy’s shoulders and back, feeling the hot, sweaty skin encasing Randy’s strong muscles, “Just… goddamn.” Randy chuckled, the sound a low, rich timbre, leaning back just a little bit to look at John, “That good I managed to getcha speechless, sheriff? Consider me honoured.” John sent him what must have been a diluted version of a ‘fuck you’ expression, Randy chuckling more at the expression. The younger man reluctantly pushed himself up on his arms and eased himself from John’s body, missing the tight sheath almost as soon as he’d left it. However, there would be time enough later where he’d get his chance again. Until then though...  
Almost as though by an unspoken mutual agreement, Randy and John leant in to one another and let their lips meet in a deep, passionate, but slightly less frantic kiss. Unable to help himself Randy drew his hand down to the length of John’s chest, feeling the powerful muscles there, revelling in the way they rippled and jumped underneath his touch. When they broke apart Randy gave a rather tired but undeniably sated smirk, and John’s dimples appeared. When they shifted apart a little, intending to clean up, John released an unmanly whimper as he sat up, clenching his jaw together at the pain that shot up his spine. Tarnation that hurt like a bitch, but it’d been /so/ worth it.

“I didn’ go too rough on ya, did I?” Randy got out of the bed that time and moved to get the jug of water and one of the towels they had hanging over the chair across the room, moving back to John after cleaning himself off. “Is that concern from the big bad outlaw?” John quirked a dimpled grin at him and Randy rolled his eyes, giving the man’s thigh a light slap, “Don’ be gettin’ cheeky with me, John, or I’ll bend you over my knee.” John shivered at the words and the sensation of the rather chill water against his skin, gingerly laying back on the bed as Randy disposed of the towel and water to the side for later, arching a brow with a playful inquiry of, “Promise?” that had Randy itching to jump on the man again even though they’d had not five minutes since the last time they had been together. He’d have to let the Sheriff rest though, because he was oh-so-very-interested to see what the elder man was going to do to him in revenge.

“Play your cards right and you’ll most certainly find out,” was Randy’s return quip, his hands moving towards John’s body as though guided there by some invisible force; he couldn’t stop touching the man, some slight superstition lingering in the back of his mind that if he did then he’d find out that he’d not been with John all along, that he was just in bed and humping the mattress like a horny teenager having the most intense erotic-dream ever. John didn’t seem to mind the way he kept touching him though and so he didn’t consider it necessary to apologise or stop. The brunette rubbed a hand over Randy’s side and Randy arched a little underneath the touch. He’d never recalled being able to let himself go to such a degree before with any of his past sexual partners, and he was actually /anticipating/ being the one in the submissive role—and he /never/ looked forward to that.

He didn’t know which of them had nodded off, or even if both of them had, because the next conscious that he was aware of was that he was looking at the metal head of the bed and—

And he was /handcuffed to it/.

Eyes widening as sleep fled him faster than a mouse before a cat, Randy started to turn his head to see where his bed companion had got to, a sense of unease and apprehension filling him… until he felt the hot, wet, tongue beginning to run from the top of the back of his neck to follow down the indentation of his spine, that was. “Fuckin’ hell—“Randy groaned low in his throat, arching his body up as much as possible given that his arms were out of commission, “Shoulda known you’d be a kinky fucker, John, you were much too much of a good boy to be so sweet all the way through—“his words cut off with a gasping moan as John’s teeth gently but pointedly closed into the smooth flesh of his back. He could /feel/ John smirking against him.

“Yeh’re a pretty deep sleepa, y’know,” John mused as he licked the spot he had bitten lightly, knowing the mark he had left there would be sadly gone before the night was over, “If yeh hadn’t’ve been then I probably wouldn’ve been able to getcha like this. I must say yeh’re probably t’best lookin’ guy I’ve ever had in cuffs before…” Randy almost growled at the probably unintentional reminder of the fact that his hands (and mouth, and cock) were not the first that John had experienced. If he had his way he’d make sure his were the /last/ and /only/ appendages to be touching John in future. However, he’d consider that later when John’s mouth wasn’t—“/Christ!/” Randy choked out, John’s tongue now teasingly glancing over his tailbone and then down between the crease of his muscular buttocks. His body convulsed and his arms were pulled almost painfully taught by the handcuffs. Hearing John’s mocking tongue-clucking had Randy growling.

“Yeh wanna calm down, boy, ‘cause you’ll do yerself an injury…” he patted Randy’s backside lightly. Randy tried to turn his head to scowl at the other man, and ask him “whether he was going to sit there talkin’ all night or whether he was going to get down t’business,” when warm air suddenly brushed over his puckered rosette as his cheeks were spread by John’s deliciously large hands. A gargled sound left Randy and John smirked, licking his lips as he lowered his head down, tongue taking that first taste. God, how many nights had this been the thought he had had in mind as he pleasured himself, his left hand being the only company that he had.

It was better than he had ever expected, and he barely waited before forcing his tongue into the tight ring of muscle that Randy possessed, feeling that strong, beautiful body tensing underneath him, but not in protest. “Fuckin’ hell, Cena—never woulda thought that’cha had it in ya—“Randy tried to sound like his cocky and bold self, but his words were strangled and he was already beginning to press back onto John’s tongue to get it deeper inside of his body. John’s chuckle vibrated against his engine and Randy was stunned when he actually fucking /whimpered/ at the sensation. “Oh, Randy, Randy, Randy…” John’s hands were smoothing over Randy’s cheeks, breath washing over the puckered muscle that was desperate to be breached again, “Yeh’re gonna be the one with somethin’ /in ya/, believe that. Have a little bit’a patience.”


	9. Chapter Eight: Ain’t Never Been A Cowboy That Couldn’t Be Thrown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John has his fun with his wicked outlaw, after so long of wanting.

Chris had learned a long time before that calling Evan a boy tended to get a reaction from him – it pissed him off, even though Chris had no idea how old he really was. But Evan had to be at least ten years younger than he was, maybe as many as fifteen. However many years were between them though, it certainly didn’t seem to give Evan any lack of experience and there was nothing boyish about what Evan usually kept hidden in his pants. Evan had seemed almost uncertain when he was trying to take care of Chris but that was over now; he thrust into the other repeatedly, with everything he had and there was nothing that Chris wanted more than to accept everything he gave. 

He grabbed at the rug beneath him, probably snatching a bald spot into it – damn, they’d trash the entire living room before they were finished and Chris couldn’t give a shit. It seemed more important that he and Evan satisfied each other, repeatedly. When the tip of Evan’s shaft hit his prostate he groaned loudly, deliberately flexing his muscles around the other man. The look on Evan’s face told him he’d definitely felt that, renewing his thrusts into the blonde. Chris knew he was going to have some explaining to do in the morning, even if no one ever saw the disaster they’d made of his house then they would certainly see the limp he would doubtless have acquired. 

“Ev!” The other had no intention of letting that spot inside him alone, battering it repeatedly, every strike unleashing a fresh wave of pleasure through him and at the pace Evan had set, that meant the sensation was pretty much constant. There was no way he was lasting too much longer. With a slight whimper of surrender, Chris reached down to take himself in hand, without the finesse that Evan had displayed earlier but just as much urgency. From the way that Evan’s hands tightened on his hips, hard enough to bruise, the display was just as appreciated by the younger man as the earlier one had been by Chris. 

“More Ev, more—“ He couldn’t take his eyes from the other, the way Evan’s face was a mask of concentration and lust was a sight he knew would revisit him on nights in the future when he was alone with only his hand for company, the same way the man had been the catalyst on every such night alone for the last two years. “M’so close!”  
Evan actually paused a moment at that and Chris was about to lambast him – stopping there wasn’t just teasing, it was downright cruel – when Evan thrust forward again, cutting the words off before they could be spoken and removing all thoughts of protest from Chris’ mind. He arched up, moving his hand more rapidly as he felt Evan’s release starting within him, the sensation the only added stimulant he needed to fall over the edge himself. Their mingled cries filled the room once more as they moved as one, sating themselves and each other before slowing, Evan carefully freeing Chris’ legs before moving in for a kiss, sweat-slickened bodies still shaking with excitement. 

Evan moved so that he was lying beside Chris on the floor, propping himself up on one elbow and smirking at the man rather tiredly. “Not bad for a ‘boy’ huh?”

“Well, I dunno,” Chris shot back. “How good was it for an ‘old man’?”

“I dunno,” Evan echoed, his smirk turning rather wicked. “You throw your back out?”

“Don’t you have school in the mornin’?”

Chuckling companionably they rearranged their positions, Evan snatching the blanket and spreading it over their hips and legs before resting his head on Chris’ chest. He felt as if he’d gotten a lot of frustration out of his system, but he knew already that before he went back to find Randy and Cody, he’d want Chris again. He wasn’t sure how far Chris would be able to indulge him during daylight hours however, it wasn’t like he could drop out of sight to indulge in illicit sex with another man. The gossip would hound him. 

“I’m pretty sure we’re intendin’ on stayin’ in town a few days,” he said casually. “We had ta skip the last place in a hurry and we hadn’t made a real stop before that in a while. We need a break and a bed.” He neglected to mention that he thought Randy had chosen to stop not just because he wanted to plan out their next move more properly, but also because of John. Realistically they could have stopped in the last place, where Randy had actually followed John outside and presumably spoken with him, but Bone Orchard was somewhere they all felt pretty safe... and Evan wondered if Randy had known about Chris all along and figured if he was going to put his affairs in order then Evan should have the chance to do so as well. 

“My bed is always open to ya,” replied Chris with a lazy smirk and what Evan thought was genuine happiness in his eyes at the thought. “And my floor, and my table – not so much my table anymore.”

“Hey, it ain’t my fault it weren’t worth shit.” Evan was completely comfortable, contented with keeping up some banter with Chris. It was really everything he’d hoped for from the reunion, although for the most part he’d been scared that Chris would have gotten himself married and was actually horrified at Evan’s return. “If it can’t withstand two men fuckin’ on it, it was no good havin’ around in the first place.”

“I don’t believe that’s what it’s intended for.”

“You ever used it for anythin’ better?” 

“Well, no,” Chris admitted and they both laughed before Chris grew slightly more serious again. “If you’re stayin’ awhile, and stayin’ outta trouble—“

“Upstandin’ citizens like we are? What trouble could we ever get into?”

Chris smirked. “Right. If you’re stayin’ awhile, then you’d better be stayin’ here every night.”

Evan glanced into Chris’ face, amused. “Is that the law in these parts, Mr Mayor?”

“You’re damn right,” returned Chris and Evan grinned, still chuckling as he leaned in to kiss Chris again. 

~:~

That Cody liked the way he tasted was oddly gratifying to Ted, a compliment he would never have expected but was excited to receive anyway. Cody was the one who tasted good, very faintly of whisky and meat, overlaid by something that was no doubt unique to him. As Cody’s tongue slipped into his mouth once more, Ted wondered how he had ever lived so long without tasting something so intoxicating, and how he was going to get by without being able to kiss Cody again. A sly, recently woken part of his mind wondered if Cody tasted that good everywhere and Ted slammed the thought away in a hurry, force of habit telling him that it was not the kind of thing one asked about another man. Although Cody had been more than amicable about tasting him earlier, that new voice reminded him, in fact he’d been positively eager to. 

Cody’s hips moved against his and Ted realised that he was hardening all over again, something he would never have expected given that his solitary experimentations had never led to him wanting more so quickly. He knew that Cody wasn’t a virgin anymore and his experiences had to be with men, or mostly with men, as much had been implied by what the man had said, but Ted was oddly unconcerned about that. He had been more worried about the harlot that had somehow dared to want someone other than Cody in her bed, as if she could ever do any better that the man that had somehow ended up in his. Even if she hadn’t broken his heart, she had shaken his trust and separated him from his family and although the cancellation of the engagement had probably brought shame onto her regardless of whether the whole truth were known or not, Ted thought that it really wasn’t punishment enough. For the first time since childhood outrages, he found himself actively wishing harm on another person, and a lady at that. Well, a female, that one had been no lady.

His body started to rock against Cody’s, savouring the feeling of their skin pressed together and he wondered (and not for the first time) why Cody hadn’t just told him to take a hike. There was nothing special about him, Cody still had no clue as to his real identity and Ted suspected that if he did, he wouldn’t care. On top of that, he was ridiculously inexperienced when compared to the other man, tentative and awkward. His interest in Cody was a given – Cody really was something special – but having it reciprocated, Cody seeming interested in him as a person rather than someone to warm his bed for the night, that was a confidence boost like no other. And although there was the voice of reason telling him that it was wrong, sinful and something to be ashamed of, his feelings about the man didn’t seem to him to feel wrong at all. Nothing had ever felt so natural. 

“Teddy,” Cody breathed against his lips. It was strange, no one had called him that since he was eight save for his brothers when they were being obnoxious or his parents when they were especially concerned over some illness, most people deeming it rather childish. But when Cody said it, it didn’t sound childish to Ted, it sounded intimate, like something between just the two of them. 

Cody leaned up slightly, sharp blue eyes searching Ted’s face and it took him a moment that Cody was looking for signs of discomfort or unease. He supposed he should be feeling both, given that he was stark naked in bed with the man that had consumed his thoughts since he’d first laid eyes on him, but the opposite was true. He didn’t want to ever leave this room, spending the whole of eternity above some saloon with Cody looking at him like that. 

“It’s alright,” he murmured and a moment later Cody was kissing him again, stealing the breath from his lungs. That was fine; Ted was pretty sure that in order to live, oxygen came second to Cody. That thought actually did unnerve him but it was a fleeting thing, lost in the heat of the moment. 

Cody’s shaft rubbed against his and Ted made some noise, unable to tell what exactly it might have been as it vanished into Cody’s mouth. He knew the mechanics of how two men had sex – at least, he thought he did, there wasn’t any way to check on such matters – and he had a sudden image of what they might look like from the outside, like they were joined in such a fashion. The thought didn’t repulse or frighten him, merely added to his ardour and he found himself meeting the other man’s movements eagerly, hands skimming over Cody’s back to daringly rest on his ass, keeping them as they were. 

Breaking the kiss, Cody gave Ted a look that was both startlement and some amusement before lowering his head to reinstate the kiss, more fiercely this time, not bothering to restrain the passion he felt. Bracing himself on one hand, the other went to Ted’s side, brushing over the extra layer he carried there and then taking hold of it. ted jumped slightly – he had always thought of that as some kind of imperfection and he certainly didn’t want Cody realising he had any of those – but Cody rubbed against him again and any protest was forgotten. 

A moment later Cody was actively grinding against him, their cocks pressed together between their abs. Ted gasped, the kiss breaking as he forgot any consideration of decorum; all he knew was he wanted more of that feeling, right away. His hands squeezed Cody’s ass a moment then slid up to the small of his back, one of his legs hooking around Cody’s waist in some effort to keep them close. 

Cody’s growl was an aphrodisiac, thrilling Ted like nothing he’d ever known. “Fuck Teddy,” Cody moaned, actions becoming slightly fiercer. “You don’t know how good you feel right now—“

Ted had a damned good idea how he felt and it was Cody causing those feelings. His hands roamed the smooth skin of the other man’s back as they rutted against each other and Ted was certain that if Cody pressed him for more, he’d be completely helpless to deny him. But Cody didn’t, perhaps sensing that Ted was a long way from ready for such a step. Instead he slid his hand from Ted’s side, over his hip and to his leg, coaxing Ted to move it over his waist alongside the first, Ted’s arousal spiking again as the motion created still more friction against his weeping cock. And then Cody’s hand slipped to Ted’s ass, first squeezing gently and then tracing a determined line along the cleft, until he was cautiously circling Ted’s entrance. 

The unsuspected sensation that Ted got from the action shoved him over the edge with roughly the force of a bolt of lightning; he tightened his legs around the other man and arched his body from the bed, hands falling from Cody’s shoulders to claw at the bed beneath him. “CODY!” he yelled, convulsing beneath the man with a complete lack of awareness of his surroundings – all that mattered was how he felt and Cody still atop him. 

Cody couldn’t help himself, the sight of Ted coming completely undone beneath him when he’d hardly even touched the man was the most incredible sight of Cody’s young life. Ted rutting against him only spurred his own release and he found himself meeting every movement of Ted’s, shouting his own pleasure to anyone who cared to listen and probably anyone who didn’t, the bed smacking rhythmically against the wall as they frenziedly rode out their orgasms. 

Ted’s legs finally slipped from around Cody’s waist, he wasn’t sure that he could have kept them there a moment longer. He suddenly felt as if all of his muscles had decided to go on strike at once, pleasantly languid. He looked at Cody still leaning over him, flushed and panting and felt a slight pang of worry. Probably Cody thought him very repressed to have needed so little to evoke such a reaction. But Ted was certain that it wasn’t entirely the act that had caused the effect, it had been Cody himself. How was he supposed to explain that without sounding like a fool? 

He didn’t have to. Cody pressed a firm but rather chaste kiss to his lips before lying beside him again, tangling their legs together and all but curling into Ted’s arms. The smile on Ted’s face at the action was tired but totally genuine. 

“Damn Teddy,” said Cody throatily. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you? That was incredible...”

Ted’s smile grew, he didn’t think Cody was merely being polite or anything, and that was the best part of all. That this amazing man would think the same of him seemed impossible but somehow it had happened. 

He couldn’t move. He felt boneless, sated and he didn’t want to disturb Cody, who was lying against him with his eyes slipping closed, seeming almost angelic with the peaceful expression on his face. Ted stroked the others arm gently, realising that he probably should have at least made an attempt to clean up the evidence of what they had done, drying on both of their bodies – but he wasn’t sure that he would have done even if he could move. Their combined essence on each other and the lingering scent that they had made together heavy in the air wasn’t something that featured in his guilty fantasises about the other but now that they were a reality, there was something about it that seemed to cement what they’d done in the same way that his post-orgasmic languidness did. They would still be a mess in the morning, in the meantime, he wanted to enjoy every moment Cody was in his bed without worrying about decorum for a while. 

~:~

This was John’s revenge for his actions earlier and Randy knew it. Given the way that John was teasing him and had already incapacitated him so there was nothing at all he could do about it, the man was planning on drawing out the torture. He should have been madder than hell at himself for sleeping through being handcuffed like he had – if it had been anyone other than John then he would have been looking at arrest, trial and the business end of a noose – and he certainly should have been pissed at John for taking the liberty, but with the man’s breath cooling the warm trail he had already left in the cleft of his ass, he was finding it hard to feel anything except extreme arousal. 

And extreme impatience. He could feel John’s grin, he would have sworn it, he certainly felt John’s breath but what he didn’t feel was John’s tongue where he wanted it and that comment about patience had to be some kind of joke because he had never felt less able to be patient in his life. He growled, about to crack wise in an effort to goad John into doing more but before he could form the words, John thrust his tongue back inside him and he gave an embarrassingly loud gasp instead. This time John didn’t pull away as Randy started to move against the probing wetness, the handcuffs clinking against the headboard when he forgot the position he was in and tried to move his hands, wanting to get more leverage. 

He was so focused on the feeling that he barely noticed John’s hand move from his ass until he felt fingertips on his balls, running a path along the underside to the cleft of his ass. “Fuck!” he moaned, already barely coherent as he felt the path of those fingers until one breached him alongside John’s searching tongue. “Ah FUCK!” he repeated, vocabulary considerably narrowed what with his brain going into some kind of meltdown that allowed no thought, only feeling. With one final long swirl, John pulled his tongue from Randy and Randy had time for one disappointed sound before John thrust a second finger and started to make scissoring motions, stretching him out without being gentle about it. Randy buried his head in the sheets, trying to stifle the noises coming from him. He hadn’t bottomed for anyone since he was around Cody’s age and John could probably tell that, however this wasn’t a matter of pride for him anymore, if it ever had been. He wanted John inside him so much that he ached for it and he wasn’t ever going to be satisfied with the man’s fingers, no matter how good they felt moving inside him as they were. 

Randy alternated pressing back on John’s fingers and trying to sneakily move his fully-erect cock against the sheets, attempting to find some friction there, but although the sheets were basic and pretty rough, it wasn’t good enough. He pulled his hands back, frustrated by his inability to free himself and his complete helplessness – even as the bottom he had always had some control over his own pleasure, had never submitted completely. But John had him in that position or the first time ever, not that he was worried about it. He was sure that if he said the word then John would uncuff him and let him alone – completely alone. He’d have no hesitation in leaving Randy frustrated and unfulfilled, which wasn’t even the main reason for him holding his tongue. The real reason was that in spite of (or perhaps because of) the loss of control, he was enjoying every second.

At third finger joined the others, curling slightly and thrusting sharply up inside him, brushing against his prostate and Randy saw stars. “John, shit – now!”

“Hush,” murmured John, sounding slightly distracted, probably on purpose. In that moment Randy could cheerfully have strangled him. Instead of giving Randy what he wanted he pressed against that spot again, causing Randy to writhe and curse beneath him. His shoulders would no doubt ache like a bitch in the morning and he didn’t care, wasn’t even thinking about it as John continued to stretch him thoroughly. He managed a look over his shoulder, seeing John’s face focused on his actions, those blue eyes darkened and glinting with naked lust. 

“John—“ Randy’s voice held a definite warning tone. 

Looking up, John smirked at him and suddenly withdrew his fingers totally, the sudden absence dragging a protest from Randy even though he knew it was a precursor to something even better. John allowed him the chance to shift position, getting to his elbows and knees, hands still incapacitated, and then knelt behind him, hands parting Randy’s ass cheeks wide. Randy growled with clear need as he felt the tip of John’s cock nudge against his entrance, trying to push himself back only to find John holding him in place. 

“Y’know Rand,” he said, voice thoughtful, teasing and clearly pleased with himself. “I think it’s your turn ta do the beggin’.”

“John!” Randy tried to push himself back once more only for John to deliver a hard slap to his ass that Randy was sure was going to raise a red mark for at least a few hours. 

“I mean it. Beg. Get yer own whore mouth workin’ and you better do it quick because I ain’t waitin’ for it. I’ll be gone.” John leant over Randy’s back, his tongue running over a faint, broken scar that was obviously the result of a wound to a much younger Viper. “I might not even stick around long enough to take the ‘cuffs.”

Randy made a strangled sound as John’s movement caused the tip of his cock to breach Randy only slightly, not nearly enough to give him any kind of pleasure. “Please,” he said rapidly, only the slightest twinge of shame at having caved in so fast. “Please John, I need your cock inside me – right – NOW!”

That was all that John needed to hear; a moment later he was buried within Randy right to the hilt, the cry of pleasure from the other ringing in his ears. He gave a low moan, Randy was so goddamn tight that he would have thought the man had never done this before had it not been for the relative familiarity with which Randy took to the preparation. 

John gave them both scant seconds to adjust before he started moving hard and fast inside the other, no desire to take things slowly at all. Had he wanted something slow or to affirm the feelings between them then he would never have handcuffed the man to the bed to begin with; as it was he felt the need to dominate completely, remind Randy that he was not some passive bitch who would take whatever the outlaw had to give without expecting his own wants to be met in return. That Randy met his every thrust willingly, almost needily, was unsurprising but definitely gratifying, had he ever met anyone who could accept this kind of roughness so readily? He tended to attract those who saw only the surface and took him to be unflinchingly generous, expecting that the good-boy sheriff to be nothing but solicitous and gentle. Randy however had seemed to understand there was more to him than that right from the start. 

“John—“ Randy’s voice was almost cut off as John pounded into his prostate, sounding hoarse and needy. “Fuckin’ touch me already!”

John managed a breathless laugh, although in truth he was already anxious to take Randy in hand and bring him to the kind of completion he was determined that no one else ever had or would again. “Ya know what I wanna hear first.”

“Fuckin’ bastard—“ But Randy was too far gone to even try to hold off giving John what he demanded. “Please, I need you to fuckin’ touch me already!”

One hand on Randy’s hip, John slid the other around the man’s abdomen to wrap around the base of his cock, realising he hadn’t been joking about the need – he was already weeping, pulsing under John’s hand. It had probably killed him to hold off asking as long as he had, John thought with a slight smirk and began jerking Randy’s erection as hard and fast as he was pounding into his ass. Randy immediately increased the volume, only a few words actually coherent through the sounds leaving his mouth, the bed creaking and the cuffs rattling against the metal John had hooked them to. Randy was damned close and John didn’t need to hear the others voice to know that much. 

“Cum for me Randy,” he growled commandingly. “Right now.”

Randy throbbed almost violently beneath his hand and whether it was the order or the culmination of it all overwhelming his lovers senses he didn’t know; the effect was the same either way. Randy arched his back as he covered John’s hand with his release, forcing himself further onto John’s cock with erratic movements. It was more than John could take, having been waiting so damned long to take the other and finding it a thousand times better than his imagination had been able to suggest he let himself go, driving himself into the other so deeply that he almost expected to see his seed dripping from the others mouth, lubricating Randy’s already slick passage with his release. He wouldn’t have thought such a moment could go on for as long as it seemed to, Randy drawing out all that he had. 

Randy’s knees appeared to give out and the taller man dropped full length to the bed, the cuffs making a protesting noise as he pulled on them. John would have liked nothing more than to fall on top of him and take his rest on the others body, but there was no way that Randy could be comfortable like that. Instead he forced himself to move, reaching for the key he had left on the table beside the bed and deftly unlocking the bracelets, setting the man free. Randy immediately pulled his arms away from the board, pushing himself into a sitting position with what looked like a little difficulty, and not just because he was very cautious about how he sat, almost leaning on his hip instead of sitting properly. “You woke me up, you bastard,” he growled, perhaps trying to sound petulant but his underlying tone was far too sated to be convincing. 

“Didn’t hear ya complainin’ at the time,” said John in response, the room dark but he was still able to see how Randy was rolling those strong shoulders. Shit, had he hurt him? He glanced down at Randy’s wrists, which were red and abraded from the rubbing of the cuffs and a stab of guilt hit him. 

Randy put a hand on his chin, forcing John to look at his face rather than the toll on his body. “I ain’t complainin’ about it now,” he said, the smirk evident in his voice. “But you get ta deal with me when I ain’t had enough shut-eye and I’m bad-tempered.”

“Yeah?” John grinned, leaning forward to give Randy a brief kiss. “And here, I thought you were always bad-tempered.” 

His hand went to Randy’s shoulders, pressing against the muscle there and Randy paused. “What in the hell are you doin’?” 

John almost laughed at the suddenly defensive tone in the outlaws voice. “You wanna meet up with your boys in the mornin’ with your shoulders up ta your ears as well as a limp?”

“Humph.” But Randy didn’t stop him and after a moment John continued his attempts at massaging whatever lingering stiffness the other had. Apparently he wasn’t doing such a bad job of it either, because after a few moments Randy gave a quiet sigh, trying to lean back a little and stiffening as the pleasant ache in his backside suddenly magnified.  
Chuckling a little, John rolled his eyes, but he did feel a little sympathy – after what Randy had done to him earlier, twice, he knew that feeling. “Lie down. On yer stomach.”

“Ha, you ain’t never gonna get enough of me like that, are ya?”

“Doubtful.” John swatted the back of Randy’s head lightly and urged the other to do as he’d said. “But that ain’t what I had in mind this time.” 

“Just keep them handcuffs offa me this time. Makes a guy with my kinda notoriety antsy.”

John honestly hadn’t considered that part but when he thought about it, that probably signalled just how much faith Randy had that John really wasn’t going to drag him before the mayor to be tried for his crimes. His hands moved firmly over Randy’s shoulders, trying to ease whatever lingering stiffness remained there and considered how they had gone from serious fucking to joking to the almost-caring actions he was indulging in now – the kind of thing that, if he were honest with himself, he’d half-expected, half-hoped from what seemed now like their inevitable collision. He just hadn’t expected it to feel quite like it had – like there was nothing else in life that could make him feel quite so contented and happy. 

If John were honest with himself, he knew he felt far more for Randy than sexual attraction. And he knew he was in big trouble.

~:~

After a while of lazy, languid kissing, and the sky getting much darker, Chris then pushed the blanket off of them both. A sound of protest left Evan as his lover did that, instinctively curling closer to the blonde to try and preserve the heat he had gathered with them both being snuggled underneath the covers, “T’fuck, Chris?” he mumbled, looking up at his lover and arching a brow. “Much as I’m tempted to see how much more furniture you and I can break before the sun comes up tomorrow—“Evan gave an impish grin at that, not the least bit fussed about the playful accusation, “I do intend to have you in my bed again at some point. I hope the /scenery/ won’t be too /boring/ for you,” he smirked.

Heaving a dramatic sigh Evan rolled onto his front, looking up at his elder lover from where the man had stood, kicking his legs up behind him and letting them wave about in a manner that was both childish and yet oddly innocently erotic in its own right, “Well, I suppose you’ll find some way to entertain me, won’t you Mr Mayor?” Leaving the blanket and the living-room in its current mess (he’d sort it before Maria turned up tomorrow or else she was going to think he had been the victim of a home attack by bandits… and whilst he was supposedly having a run-in with an outlaw, it wasn’t an attack and he didn’t want her to raise an unnecessary alarm) Chris reached down and –with a surprising show of strength for a man his age- Chris picked Evan up off of the floor with what Evan deemed almost insulting ease. Amusement warring with an inbred irritation flickering over his face a moment, Evan then wrapped his arms and legs around Chris and allowed himself to be carried upstairs, “I could just walk, y’know?” he pointed out with a light drawl, and Chris smirked roguishly as he made his way up the stairs with some speed and yet definite care—one misstep and they’d both take a tumble, and everyone knew that stairs were an understated mishap in their day and age.

“Where would the fun be for me if I let you do that?” the blonde asked and Evan snickered teasingly, “Yeh’ve got-cherself some real weird kinks there Mayor.” Chris’ home –such as Evan had seen of it that night two years ago when he had been scaling up the outside wall to get to Chris’ bedroom, high on drink, determination and adrenaline- hadn’t appeared to have changed much in all that time, and Evan found a strange sense of, dare he say it, /home/ from the place, even though he’d never lived there. It was the most permanent residence he had ever been in, if you wanted to get technical, and so he felt mildly justified in his feelings. Reaching behind him he gently pushed the white-wood door open when Chris stopped in front of it, seemingly debating on how to get it open, and then winked as Chris sent him a wanly amused look. A few steps had them inside Chris’ large, elaborate and comfortable but not showy room, the furniture still seeming as sparse as ever considering that this was the man’s personal habitat.

With a rather touching amount of care Evan felt himself being laid onto Chris’ large, neatly made bed, pulling the covers back and getting underneath them with a week and cheeky show of wriggling around and making himself comfortable over the entire expanse of the bed. Well, such as he could reach anyway. Chuckling softly Chris then held the covers up and then nudged Evan’s side in an area that he remembered was particularly sensitive for the outlaw, sending him squeaking in a soft, unmanly and wholly embarrassing way, Chris using the opportunity of the other moving to slip into the available space, then drawing Evan close. Even though cuddling wasn’t something one would expect an outlaw to enjoy, Evan liked it when he was held by Chris, or vice versa, it gave him a sense of contentment and peace that he hadn’t ever had in anyone-else’s arms before; not that he’d been in them as long.

The lamp was burning low, giving them just a faint light enough to see one another without interrupting their contented and settled atmosphere. “How are you feelin’ old man?” Evan asked with an affectionate smirk, fingers tracing down Chris’ spine, “I didn’ hurt-cha did I?” the other wanted him to act as he had, certainly, but that didn’t mean Evan relished the thought of hurting the man—especially not in /that/ way. There were many things that Evan would do, but /that/ was not one of them. He didn’t think either of his friends would ever do such a thing either, even though they had occasionally… rougher, needs, like himself, though compared to them (Randy especially) he felt himself quite tame. “Nah,” Chris assured, leaning back on his pillows and very much enjoying the way that Evan assimilated himself into his embrace and rested his head in the crook of his neck, fingers stroking gently and absently over Chris’ exposed torso.

“It was pretty damn amazin’, no fear,” the blonde added as an extra reassurance and Evan exhaled a breath with a small smile, “Good.” They fell into absent chatter then, discussing safe and easy topics, Chris noticing after a few minutes that Evan seemed to be struggling to keep himself awake. Pressing a kiss to the top of Evan’s ear Chris murmured, “Go to sleep, little puppy, you’ve worn yourself out.” A small mumble left Evan, “What have I tolja about callin’ me that damn nickname?” but there was a small smile curling his lips. “Don’t do it if I value my teeth?” Chris smirked gently, settling down for Evan. “I said I wanted you all night, remember?” Evan murmured, voice getting fainter, and Chris smiled with fond indulgence down at his lover, “Tell you what: wake me up when you wake up and we’ll see what we can get up to, huh?” Evan mumbled something about ‘old men needing their sleep more than young’uns’ but he was asleep before he could even finish the sentence coherently.


	10. Chapter Nine: Kiss The Rising Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone enjoys waking up together- Chris and Evan's morning is interrupted, however, by a visit from Hunter. And the man is determined to try and get Chris to see business his way.

Falling asleep wasn’t something that he had intended at all, but the next thing Ted was aware of the sky outside was dark, but lighter than it had been previous, and he and Cody were so closely entwined underneath the covers that were it not for their differences in skin-tone it would have been impossible to tell which limb belonged to which man. At least, that was what it seemed like to Ted. Cody’s chest was against his front (they had moved in their sleep it seemed) and the other man’s body fit against his as though he had been /made/ to fit there. And, he would have chastised himself for letting his mind become accustomed to the idea of Cody in a permanent sense –their separate lifestyles not the penultimate problem on that part- had it not been for the sudden wiggle Cody gave.

Freezing in place, breath catching, Ted’s eyes widened a little as he heard Cody give a soft, sleepy sigh, the other obviously not awake, moving in his subconscious. That didn’t make it any less torturous for Ted though, because the area of his groin was rapidly becoming hard from not only the wiggling, but the terrifying and wholly astounding thought of the fact that Cody’s exposed posterior was rubbing against him. Even though the thought of making such a step with Cody still terrified him, regardless of how much the thought intrigued him in the previously unknown part of his mind that Cody had unlocked, he couldn’t deny that he was interested… and when he remembered how it felt to merely have Cody’s finger /circling/ that specific part of him, he felt himself getting harder and harder. Oh gumdrops—what was he supposed to do with /that?/ Even though Cody had been encouraging him to touch him, to do as he pleased the night before, Ted somehow felt that waking up to feel Ted shamelessly poking at him was not something the other would appreciate. However, whenever he moved he was afraid of disturbing Cody, so he was stuck.

Not that he exactly wanted to move, but he really needed to do something about his predicament. A ginger movement meant that Ted’s length was once again rubbing against Cody’s perk cheeks and he cursed his lascivious body; he knew that his inexperience and lack of experimentation meant that he was sensitive, but this was just darn-right ridiculous! “Teddy…” the soft sigh left Cody and Ted froze, sensing that the other must be waking up… he knew he shouldn’t have been moving around so much! Unbeknownst to Ted though, Cody had been awake almost as soon as the other’s erection made itself known to him, the subsequent tentative rubbing /really/ wasn’t helping him in the sleep department either. Wondering how far he could push with his feigned sleep, if only so as not to frighten Ted any more than he possibly might do if he tried to be a bit more forward, encouraging, Cody then slowly started to turn around, focusing all the while on keeping his breathing deep and even. He flung an arm and a leg over Ted, his cheek making itself comfortable atop one of Ted’s smooth, strong pecs. He heard the elder man’s breath stutter a little, uncertain hands making themselves comfortable upon his shoulder and lower-back. Ted hadn’t had a problem with this position the night before for their step-down-activities-from-intercourse, and if he didn’t get the chance to have Ted inside of him he at least wanted the privilege of being inside of Ted.

The thought of any other man touching Ted bothered him (heck, the thought of any /woman/ touching Ted bothered him) but to consider that someone else might take the precious gift of Ted’s virginity? No way no sir—Cody Rhodes was /not/ gonna let that happen. He knew he himself was hardly worthy of such a gift but at least /he/ knew what he was doin’ in that department, knew that he could make it good for Ted, make it /so damn good/ that Ted would never, never /ever/ forget him… And that was what he wanted. He didn’t want the beautiful man who he was currently partially lain over to ever forget him. Cody had issues with being replaced at the best of times (just ask Evan and Randy when Evan had first joined the group) but the thought of Ted replacing him was absolutely excruciating. No longer wishing to feign sleep considering that he knew he and Ted were both awake Cody made a show of slowly opening his eyes, playing sleepy for all he was worth, looking up at the still rather frozen male underneath him. “Teddy?” the smile Cody sent him literally robbed him of breath: he was too beautiful, it almost hurt.

“G-Good mornin’,” Ted cringed at the initial quaver that came out with his voice but he managed to recover fast enough, his hand absently rubbing Cody’s shoulder and arm from where they lay against one another. Rubbing a bit of genuine sleep-dust from his eyes Cody asked, “D’ya know what time it is?” his voice came out low and husky (undoubtedly from sleep, Ted told himself, and not from some sort of attempt to seduce him) and it took him a few moments to get his mind back on track with everything. “I uh, I dunno,” Ted said, reaching over to turn the lamp on so he could look at the trust pocket-watch his grandfather had had made for him shortly after he was born, it having been carefully maintained and restored as the years went by—Ted never went anywhere without it. However, a hand caught his own and –as if that wasn’t enough to make his heart jump a couple of beats- their fingers laced together firmly, Cody bringing his hand back towards their bodies. “Don’t.” he was concerned that if the light was turned on then whatever mood they had the chance of building on before they had to go their separate ways. For the time being; there was no way Cody was leaving for the border without spending one more night with Ted, regardless of what he had to do to ensure such a thing.

Looking into those bottomless sapphires, able to make out most of Cody’s expression though it was shadowed, Ted felt his heart pounding harder and harder, figuring that Cody could probably feel it considering that his arm was still over his chest. Swallowing hard, mouth suddenly feeling dryer than sand-paper, Ted croaked out a soft, “Ok,” though whether he was answering Cody’s light previous plea or the unspoken question that he could see in those bewitching eyes he didn’t know. However, he needn’t have worried, because Cody’s lips were brushing against his own, surprisingly soft and sweet, and Ted was drawn in like a bear to honey. Though the kisses were close-mouthed at first they soon deepened, tongues caressing and twining, stroking over teeth and gums and just generally possessing each and every single inch that was given to them within the cavern of the other’s mouths, Ted feeling as though his very soul was branded with each kiss.

Their movements were slower but none-the-less passionate than they had been last night, Ted giving a helpless, desperate mewl when Cody’s mouth left his, making him feel incredibly bereft, before that same sinful, blessed mouth was taking his earlobe into that mind-numbing hot, wet, heat, suckling and nibbling gently. “Cody—“Ted gasped softly, hands grasping the other male’s upper-arms, torn between wanting to draw him close and push him away, wanting and yet terrified to ask for. A gentle kiss was brushed over his cheek, Cody’s gentle tones soothing him, “Shush, Teddy-baby, let me take care of you.” Ted knew he was never going to hear that innocent, previously innocuous line ever again without thinking of his outlaw… and just when did he start referring to Cody as his, at least so freely? Usually it was a slip in his mind and he hastened to correct himself, shushing that little voice that had been the one to make itself known when he had given that subtle threat to John when he had first met the man and hadn’t known what it was that he exactly intended to do if he came into contact with the outlaws again.

Nodding, Ted forced away the reservations that threatened to destroy this moment, surrendering himself to the gentle, unhurried trail of bliss that was being formed by Cody’s lips down the length of his neck. He tilted his head back, gasping as Cody nipped at his Adam’s apple, feeling those lips tracing over his collarbone and then heading further down south. Light fingers first brushed over his nipples, making Ted shiver (old school friends, and his cheeky lad of a big brother Mike had told him they were sensitive for a lady, but he’d never expected that it could be the same for a man) the shiver becoming a powerful full-body tremor when Cody’s tongue circled one. A hand threaded into Cody’s soft dark hair, chest arching as his body made the plea that his lips then could not; speaking required too much thought, too much effort, and he had more important things that he needed to focus his energy on: namely the fact that Cody was now /sucking on, and teasing/ his nipple with his teeth. After that treatment the peaks were hard pointed nubs in no time at all and Cody’s mouth got lower. When he first felt the tongue tracing his abs he curled his toes into the sheets, but when that mouth bit down on his ride side, on one of the embarrassing fleshy handles he just couldn’t get rid of, leaving an obvious mark of ownership behind, Ted almost came then and there.

Sheer will alone (and thoughts of his old nanny Vickie in a bathing-suit) managed to temper his orgasm for the moment, but when the whispered words of, “Can I?” brushed over his now weeping, shameless manhood, Ted found himself giving a tremulous whisper of, “Oh, God, /please/--“before he was gasping and convulsing as he felt a person’s mouth around him for the first time. Cody, having anticipated how Ted would react to this new sensation, had firmly taken the other’s hips in hand and gently but pointedly pressed them down onto the bed. He took his time, taking Ted in inch by deliciously thick inch, wanting both to savour this moment for himself and also to engrave each second into his mind. Ted should consider himself honoured, really: the last man Cody had gotten on his knees for (proverbially in this instance, but you got the point) was Randy, and that was well over half a year ago, a favour between friends and all, no more, and there had been merely two others in all his years before that. 

~:~

Eventually he sensed that the other man was relaxed again and John’s hands stopped. Randy made a small sound of protest, “I w’s enjoyin’ that,” he rumbled and John chuckled softly at the sentiment, “Glad to know I can be of service.” He eased himself from being astride Randy and moved underneath the covers, Randy joining him and surprising John somewhat by pulling the man into his embrace and pressing his front to John’s back, throwing one of his strong legs over John’s own, “Give me a chance to rest up and I’ll show you how you can be /of service/ to me again.” The lecherous words brushed over his ear in a hot breath and had John not been exhausted from their previous activities he would have sworn that he had felt himself stirring again… and that was just plain ridiculous. He’d do himself an injury.

As the Sheriff in his arms fell asleep, his breathing turning deep and even, Randy watched him as much as possible in the darkness, seeing the way his chest rose and fell and how his lashes fluttered slightly in slumber. The man snored, just slightly, softly, but Randy found it quite endearing. Cody and Evan always told him that he sounded like a south-bound freight-train when he snored, but since it was those two didn’t trust their judgement and it seemed that John was so deep in sleep he wouldn’t be disturbed even if Randy did snore. A strange warm feeling bloomed inside the outlaw’s chest and Randy momentarily froze in place; what the fuck was /that/ about? No… no. Lust was one thing anything else was just stupid, /and/ risky.

Just as Randy was finally settling himself to sleep John moved against him and he felt himself pressing just slightly into the man’s still slightly-stretched opening. A soft growl left Randy, stilling slightly as John seemed to stir… but then the man merely heaved a sigh and continued to sleep. Exhaling a breath Randy then began to gently press himself inside of John’s tight sheath. He knew that he shouldn’t, supposed it could be considered forced almost since John wasn’t awake to give him explicit permission, but he /really/ doubted that the other would mind. Randy felt himself hardening just that bit more as he slowly, surely, managed to get himself inside of the other balls-deep. Feeling oddly at peace (and surprisingly not inclined in /that/ moment to push for another round then and there) Randy allowed himself to slip into his own slumber. It had to be the best sleep that he had had in months, years even, and it had nothing to do for once with the fact that he was in a clean, warm room with an actual bed, though those were pluses… it was all thanks to the body that was in bed with him, keeping him warm… all over, funnily enough.

The following morning, early but not as early as he normally awoke, John opened his eyes. Yawning heavily he smothered the sound with a large hand, intending to get up and grab a glass of water from the jug on the side, but when he moved he felt something that was most definitely /not/ usual. It was only when a low, semi-conscious moan left the warm body at his back as John attempted to shift, he realised that Randy was /inside of him/. Again. When the frig had that happened? John hadn’t thought he slept /that/ heavily. When Randy’s hips suddenly canted lightly John gasped, and the semi-enthusiastic morning-erection that he had awoken with began to swell harder and bigger in mere moments. “Mhm…” Randy’s breath washed over the back of his neck and John shivered, feeling one hand reaching for his and twining their fingers together firmly, the other hand securing John’s hip as the remained laid back to front, “Now /this/ I could definitely get used to waking up to,” the baritone voice was gruffer than usual from sleep, and oh-so-very sexy.

“Fucking hell, Randy—“John gasped softly as Randy’s hips rolled just slightly, the position meaning his lower-body was even more constrictive around Randy than usual. Nibbling on John’s earlobe firmly, and his neck, Randy then reached one of his long-fingered hands down and pulled one of the man’s thighs back to settle over his own, both men moaning in tandem as the movements meant that Randy seemed to push even deeper inside of John… if such a thing was possible in the first place. “Mornin’, John,” Randy said with a small smirk as he began to rock his hips, barely moving inside of the other, just letting John feel as Randy essentially owned his body. And whilst that wouldn’t have bothered him it was the feelings in his chest that made him rather nervous about it. To give a person your body was one thing, but to open yourself up to the ultimate vulnerability by handing your heart over? John wasn’t sure he was ready to make that move, or that Randy was willing to receive it.

The thoughts were driven from his mind though as he felt Randy nudging his prostate lightly with the odd movement before he then seemed to make a definitive point of not going anywhere near that spot. John began to rock his hips back on Randy’s, their movements not allowing them much space given their positioning but neither of them minded; this way their bodies were plastered together as close as humanly possible and neither man had a problem with it. The bed creaked now and again because of their movements but the sound was stilted, nowhere near as tell-tale and loud as it had been previously. A small sound of frustration left John after several minutes of the pair writhing underneath the generic cotton covers, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to achieve his ends like that and so attempting to move whilst not taking Randy from inside of him, because, y’know, that was /not/ what he wanted even slightly. Finding himself sitting astride Randy, much like he had been that first time, but with his back to the other, was not what John had intended at all… but then given the way the other was all but forcedly pressing into his prostate in a manner that had John shaking even without any accompanying movement killed whatever embarrassment he might have been carrying previously upon his first recognition. For a moment they both seemed to freeze, taking the moment in.

Then, Randy couldn’t help but smirk slightly as he braced his hands on John’s hips. Though he couldn’t see the man’s face, and that bothered him somewhat (John’s expressions of arousal and orgasm were just something that it seemed sinful to miss) but watching the way those strong muscles bunched and flexed, the way the man’s spine arched and his head fell back as Randy started to thrust again, was more than enough to sate him on that score. Besides, he didn’t intend to let John leave his room until midday at the very least and so he’d have chance to look upon the man’s face before then again. John’s hands grasped, needing to find something to hold onto, to keep him grounded, and ended up grasping behind him at Randy’s hips, their arms fairly crossing from where they held onto one another, John using his substantial thighs to begin moving himself up and down atop the other. Now this position was much much better, their movements easier now this time.

“Fuck, you feel so good John,” Randy growled softly, eyes greedily drinking in the broadness of his lover’s shoulders and how they tightened and relaxed, the corded muscles in his back rippling with their movements. John’s eyes were hooded, looking both at the ceiling and then down at himself, seeing the way this his shamelessly swollen manhood bounced with each of his movements atop Randy, pre-cum already leaking from the engorged head and slicking his aching flesh with natural lubrication. Just as John was considering removing a hand from Randy to touch himself, Randy suddenly sat up, almost sending John partially off the bed on all fours, but the man’s hands on his hips meant that he was secure, seated completely on Randy’s length, his buttocks resting atop the man’s incredible thighs. “What did I tell you about touching what belongs to me?” Randy breathed into John’s ear, momentarily causing John to still (just how the hell had he known what John was thinking?) before a hand then took both of John’s in his own, locking their fingers and preventing either one of them from touching John, much to John’s dismay.

“If yeh’re gonna cum,” Randy spoke lowly into John’s neck, feeling the way the elder man’s fingers curled around his own restlessly, needing to touch but not being allowed, “Then yeh’re gonna cum from my cock alone, yeh got that? So I suggest you get that pretty ass of yours movin’, Cena.” John groaned, “I could really fuckin’ hate you, Randy,” and Randy merely snickered, teeth teasing the flesh at the juncture of John’s neck and shoulder. “I could really hate you too, John,” he promised the other, the sound of skin slapping against skin lightly began up again as John started to bounce on Randy’s lap, Randy thrusting up as John pushed down, twin moans, growls and gasps, as well as the odd obscenity (or stream of obscenities) left both men, each taking great pleasure from their partner’s body and responses. “You’re close, aren’t you John?” Randy panted after many frantic minutes, sweat slickening their skin, the contrasting tones of tan (gentle olive against the much deeper walnut) seeming to meld together into one shade: passion. “Yes—“John moaned, right at the very peak.

The resulting thrusts from Randy, as hard and deep as he could into John, almost made John scream as his aching arousal throbbed harder and harder, right at the precipice of release but seemingly not getting enough to go over—until Randy bit John, hard, on that same juncture he had been previously caressing with his lips. The flash of pain, coupled with the almost painful pleasure of their coupling, had John actually biting /through/ his lip to contain that previous scream that wanted out. His orgasm erupted from him with the force of an oil rig, the pearlescent liquid covering his groin, thighs, even part of the bed… as well as Randy’s thighs a little. The convulsions of the other’s muscles, as well as the feeling of hot seed on his skin, were enough for Randy to achieve his own release.

An animalistic, borderline pornographic grunt left Randy, rutting his hips firmly as he milked the last of his own essence into John’s body, feeling the way his lover even moved against him with gentle, pointed hip rolls to ensure that Randy gained as much pleasure as possible. John gave a last, rather pathetic mewl of pleasure, flopping back against Randy’s chest, turning his head to meet the outlaw’s lips in a firm, messy, chap-lipped kiss, their fingers detaching from one another’s. Randy’s arms took up residence once more around John’s waist at that, one of John’s own resting atop Randy’s as the other hand curled around the back of the man’s neck, threading into his short hair, keeping their mouths pressed together. Reluctantly John eased himself off of Randy’s lap, intending to go and get cleaned up, but Randy merely pulled him back to the bed, keeping him close. Arching a brow at the other in silent question John watched as Randy merely smirked at him, shrugging lightly, voice still minutely breathless as he said, “What’s the point in gettin’ clean when I’m only gonna be getting you dirty again, and again, and again,” sure, they’d need to stop for food at some point but that seemed like a small inconvenience that he would consider when it came down to it and not a second before.

Rolling them so that he was astride John, Randy drew the other into a deep kiss, licking at the trail of blood that had been drawn from John’s attempts to quieten himself (and though he would much rather hear the man scream he knew that there was many a good reason for the man attempting to keep quiet—they’d probably be lynched in a heartbeat if anyone found them like this), soothing the spot with his tongue and making John sigh softly. Randy’s lips then began to move over the man’s face, then over his jaw and down his neck, taking his time to commit John’s body to memory, tasting the saltiness of sweat on the man’s skin, the musk of their sex still thick in the air, like some invisible aphrodisiac. The number of markings he had left on John’s body was increasing and Randy found himself wishing that he had a permanent way to lay ownership to the man, to give anyone who might have the balls enough to get close enough the warning about what would happen if their hands went on his property. By this point his tongue was trailing down John’s neck and over his collarbones, they rather straight in comparison to his own where he’d fallen from a tree as a child and broken it.

~:~

Chris fell asleep shortly after Evan did – after a long period of abstinence followed by some of the most energetic sex he’d ever had, there was no way to deny he was tired and Evan’s body warming his own only lulled him to sleep faster. It wasn’t to last, sadly enough. The sun was barely up on the horizon and most of the townspeople were still sleeping off the previous nights excesses when Chris was jolted suddenly from his sleep by someone banging on the front door. Beside him, Evan sat up so hurriedly that he was moving almost before Chris even opened his eyes, an expression of determined watchfulness on his face. 

“Easy,” Chris murmured to him, sitting up himself and resting a hand on Evan’s chest before the man could go running off – he really, really didn’t want Evan going anywhere. “It’s only the door, someone with no damn respect for a man’s rest.” And he had to hope that it wasn’t a mob who’d gotten wind of his bed-partner and were there to drag him out and lynch him for his behaviour – although no doubt Evan would be able to get away. That didn’t mean he was going to raise his voice until he was sure though, even knowing it was unlikely anyone would hear them talking from the bedroom. 

He got out of bed with real regret as the knocking didn’t abate, limping slightly and remembering the marks Evan had left on his body just in time. He grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe, barely even having to look – thank god for Maria, otherwise his house would be a disorganised mess – and fastened it to his throat before opening the window and leaning out to take a look. Below, the guest looked back up at him and Chris had to force back a sigh as he realised it was Helmsley, the rich man from the edge of town. Just what he didn’t need when he had Evan lying naked in the bed behind him and probably very much interested in a repeat of their previous nights activities. 

“It’s real early Mr Helmsley and there was a pretty good party on last night,” he said, allowing himself to sound impatient. If the man got the message and buggered off, so much the better. 

Helmsley smirked and Chris considered popping him in the nose. “There sure was. We need to talk legal business Mayor Jericho.”

“The law?” Chris sighed. “Go talk to Sheriff Michaels.”

“It’s not a criminal issue, more... property.”

“Can’t it wait ‘til a more reasonable hour?” Chris’ retort was supposed to be sharp, but Evan had chosen that moment to slip off the bed and out of sight of the window was caressing Chris’ naked legs. He should have realised that leaning out of the window with nothing on his lower half would be an invitation. In fact, it could have been that awareness that led him to do so.

Helmsley continued to talk, the upshot being that his business shouldn’t wait but Chris really wasn’t listening. Evan had decided to kneel behind him, giving kitten-licks to his balls and Chris’ attention was miles away from what the unwelcome visitor was talking about. Chris tried to keep his expression neutral and the tremor out of his voice when he argued, but Evan wasn’t making it easy for him. 

“Just get rid of him and get back up here,” said Evan quietly, realising the other man would stand and argue all day and the sooner he left, the sooner Chris would be all his again. 

“Just hold yer water there Mr Helmsley and I’ll be right down,” Chris called down, slamming the window and giving Evan a disbelieving look. “Do you know how hard it is, havin’ to talk to him while you’re doin’ that?”

“I can see just how hard it is, it nearly took my eye out.” Evan winked up at Chris, knowing that their position just had to be reminding the man of other things they could be doing right then – it would be so easy... but there was the loudmouth at the door to deal with. “Go put some pants on and get rid of him already!”

Nodding, Chris grabbed some clean pants and dressed, running his hands through his hair and checking his reflection. He looked like he’d been partying pretty hard but that was only to be expected considering and he wasn’t neatening himself up for this man. Something told him that once he got back to Evan, it would have proved to be a waste of time. Evan got up, sprawling back onto the bed in all his naked glory and once more Chris was tempted to leave Helmsley right where he stood, except he had the feeling that making the man wait would only end up in him hammering on the door and causing a break in the mood. “I’ll be right back,” he said, grinning at Evan and then going down to greet Helmsley. 

“Hope you don’t mind the kitchen,” he said as he led the man into the house. “Tripped over the table last night, smashed it to hell. Haven’t cleared it up yet.”

He noticed that Helmsley didn’t look impressed by this tale of apparent drunkenness and wondered how the expression would be should he find out just how the table had gotten smashed, or that he’d not managed more than half a beer the whole night. Not that he wondered much; he didn’t care how the man felt about it. “Can we get down to business? I was asleep.”

“Then I’ll get right to it.” Hunter sat at the table as Chris got himself a glass of water, not offering one to his guest – he wasn’t giving any excuse for the man to stay longer than needed. “It’s about the James farm. I believe that Mr James died some eight months ago?”

“Yeah, he did,” replied Chris, no idea where this was leading. “It ain’t standin’ empty though, his daughter’s runnin’ the show now. There any problems there?

“Yes, a big problem.” Hunter fixed Chris with a look that tried to be friendly and failed. “You know as well as I do Mayor Jericho that women can’t own property. It’s the law in our great state.” 

“And one that don’t make a lick of sense,” said Chris dryly. “I’m still not seein’ the problem.”

Hunter scowled. “The problem is that the James woman can’t legally stay where she is! There’s no other male relative and that means the land belongs to the town.”

Chris was starting to see where this one was going. “And you’d like to buy her land from the town? May I ask why?”

“Stephanie and I were considering expanding our home.”

“The James’ farm’s gotta be a mile from your place.”

“We have other reasons to be interested.” Hunter raised an eyebrow. “So, given that the woman’s there unlawfully, you gonna be tellin’ her to git out?”

Chris leaned back in his chair, a slight smirk on his lips. “The thing is, the land don’t belong to the town.”

“I told you, the land reverts to the town when the farmer died, since there’s no male relative and the woman can’t own it.” Hunter sounded like he was talking to a child and Chris’ eyes narrowed slightly. “It doesn’t belong to her.”

“You’re right.” Chris couldn’t hide the smirk any longer. “It belongs to me.”

Hunter’s shock was palpable. “What?”

“See, Old Man James knew he didn’t have long and that his daughter might not be able to stay on the farm if he left it to her. So he came to me and then he visited that lawyer who owns the place on Main Street – well, to cut the story short, the terms of his will mean me n’ Mickie are what you might call silent partners. My name’s on the deed in trust until her eldest boy turns twenty-one and she works for me.”

Now there was anger on Hunter’s face, the kind that said he was fighting back the urge to hit something. “You’re tellin’ me you’re partners. You share the profits?” 

“Business partners,” Chris amended, trying to suppress his smirk even though he was really enjoying taking this pompous asshole down a few pegs. “And yeah, she takes... I can’t remember exact figures off the top o’ my head, but I think it’s roughly a hundred per cent of the profits and I get a real good turkey plucked and delivered to the door in time for Christmas.”

“You think this is some kind of a joke, Jericho?” Helmsley’s voice was low and furious. “You manipulate the law so that woman can pretend she’s a man and keep a farm she ain’t entitled to?”

“Hey, she provides a lot of men with jobs and she ain’t breakin’ no laws, I gotta hire someone to keep that place lookin’ good an’ turnin’ over while we wait for her kids to come of age.”

“She’s not even married!”

“Then it might take a real long time.” Chris rose, indicating to the door. “Now that’s all cleared up, thanks for bringin’ it to my attention but the matter’s already taken care of.”

“But you could sell the farm, you don’t need her permission for that.” Hunter glared at Chris, not making a move to leave. “She’d have enough to live off of, the money’d still be there for the kids, if they ever show up.”

“But Miss James loves that farm and that’s more important than takin’ the easy option.” Chris looked pointedly at the door. “The matter’s done with.”

Hunter looked for a moment like he might explode and that really would cause a problem, given that he was a pretty big guy and Chris wasn’t exactly ready for a fight – but then he merely shoved his chair back and stalked out of the house without another word. 

Chris allowed himself a laugh and then looked around the hallway, not that he could see anyone but he had a feeling... “How much of that were you listening to?”

There was a few moments pause and then Evan entered the room, still naked and looking not even a little ashamed of himself. “Most of it. You sure sounded like you enjoyed tellin’ that guy there wasn’t a thing he could do to get that lady off her land.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a smug asshole and him and his wife ain’t real popular ‘round here.”

“You might wanna be careful. He didn’t strike me as a guy who lets things go.”

“And he’d have a field day if he knew there was a naked man paradin’ around the house.” Chris looked Evan up and down rather blatantly. “Get your ass back up those stairs boy.”  
Evan smirked. “Think you can keep up with me, old man? Try it.”

Grinning, Chris put Hunter out of his mind and chased Evan back up the stairs, that naked backside giving him all the incentive he needed to put on an extra burst of speed. And for an old man, he thought he caught up to Evan in admirable time.


	11. Chapter Ten: Find Some Refuge Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Randy lets John in on some background as to how he and his boys came to be together, Evan has a little more fun with Chris and Ted and Cody discuss sin.

Ted’s fingers plucked at the sheets as he watched Cody take him completely into his mouth, only just able to make him out in the early morning gloom but still taken aback by just how gloriously erotic his outlaw looked in that moment. Cody’s eyes were fixed on him, a rather wicked glint in the blue depths, his hands were pressing determinedly on Ted’s love handles and that was a good thing because Ted’s instinct was to thrust up further into that mouth, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt or choke Cody, or ruin the moment. 

Back when they had been young teenagers, Ted’s brother had whispered to Ted that he’d found out what the girls who lived over the saloon in their small town did with men and had gone on to describe this act. Ted had wrinkled his nose, too young to be much into sex and thinking that the whole thing sounded unsanitary. It had taken about three seconds of Cody’s lips over his cock for him to entirely revise his opinion. Hygiene be damned, this was a piece of heaven. 

“Oh damn Cody,” he moaned as Cody’s tongue moved along the underside of his shaft, causing him to twitch violently within his lovers mouth. He wasn’t going to be able to last given the way that Cody was licking and sucking at him, showing every sign of enjoyment as he did so. Ted wondered what it might be like to do this to Cody, to have the other man in his mouth and cause him this kind of pleasure – the thought that he really could do so was heady, darkly exciting and only added to his current arousal. The warm wetness of Cody’s mouth tight around his erection though was already wiping any kind of rational thought from him mind; right up until he realised he wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer, he was right on the brink of release and Cody wasn’t showing any inclination to back away before he did so. 

“Cody, I – ah! C-Cody, I can’t – in your mouth...”

Cody moved his head back, taking his lips from the other man’s cock for a brief moment. “You can,” he said, the smile evident in his voice as his lips brushed the head of Ted’s shaft with the words and then took Ted all the way in his mouth again, moaning in what sounded to Ted like actual pleasure, the vibrations shooting through his cock and making sure that Ted could hold off the inevitable no longer. With a deep cry he let himself go, hips held down only by Cody’s hands, back arching and his head thrashing from side to side. And oh god, he could feel Cody’s throat moving as the man swallowed his seed down, the knowledge of the other tasting him so intimately causing a constrictive but not unpleasant feeling in his chest that only added to his overall bliss. 

He was still in Cody’s mouth by the time he came down from his high, the other apparently ensuring he was clean and that enough that Ted wished he could recover faster so he could be hard again, Cody doing that to him again... once could never be enough. He wanted to experience it over and over, greedy for those sensations again although they had only culminated moments ago. But Cody released him and Ted gave a noise that was almost a whine at the loss of those lips around him. Chuckling to himself a little, Cody slid up Ted’s body, taking in the sated expression and grinning with self-satisfaction, leaning in to kiss Ted’s lips. Ted accepted the kiss eagerly enough, realising only after Cody’s tongue had slid past his lips that the man tasted different – of him. And he didn’t find it unpleasant at all. 

Cody broke the kiss, giving Ted a lazy smile. “I toldja you tasted sweet.” Ted looked a little shy but not embarrassed and Cody knew that Ted’s inhibitions were well and truly lowering. “Was that good baby?” he asked, not needing the reply when he’d experienced Ted’s responses for himself but damned glad when the nod came immediately, accompanied by a rather happy smile. Damn, but Ted probably didn’t realise just how handsome he looked when he smiled and Cody felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest. He wanted to make Ted happy so badly that the need to do so was almost physical. He leaned in and kissed Ted again, chastely so he could move back and gauge the others reaction. “If it felt that good being in my mouth, just imagine how good it’d feel being in my body.”

Ted’s eyes widened at the comment but Cody could see that beneath the alarm and worry in his eyes there was a healthy dose of lust – and the sudden twitch he felt from Ted’s cock was not his imagination either. Ted was most definitely interested in that, no matter how he might believe he wasn’t. 

“We... we can’t do that Cody,” Ted stammered. “I mean, it’s a sin—“

Cody made a dismissive sound. “I don’t believe that for a minute and if you really did, then you wouldn’t be here with me at all. How is feelin’ good a sin? Did anythin’ we did tonight feel like it was wrong?”

“Hell no.” Ted’s eyes met Cody’s and Cody knew that for all his protests and arguments, Ted was really looking to be talked into it. He wanted those logical arguments knocked down, his protests vetoed. And Cody knew he could do it, probably that very night – but that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Ted so badly he could taste it, but he wanted Ted to be willing, honestly wanting Cody without reservations. He didn’t want Ted to feel later on that he had been coerced into anything. 

“It felt right,” continued Ted slowly. “It’s not supposed to but it was so good...” He swallowed, trying to find the right words. “I’ve never done anything I’m not supposed to before, not ever. I’d never even been in a saloon before I came out here—“ He caught Cody’s amused, slightly disbelieving look and smiled. “My parents don’t approve. Gambling and loose women and overzealous drinking, they always said they’re bad places and decent folk don’t go in them. I’ve never done anything out of the ordinary and I’ve never felt like I was doing anything wrong but – when I decided to go after you, everything since then, that felt more right than anything else.” 

Cody smiled, brushing some hair back from Ted’s forehead. “Then it probably is right.” He kissed Ted again – damn, he just wasn’t able to leave those lips be. “That’s how it feels to me too. But Teddy... I don’t want you to do anythin’ you ain’t sure you want, but I won’t be around all that long. Just as soon as Randy stops maulin’ the sheriff and remembers we ain’t gonna be able to hang around too long, we’re gonna have to leave. And if I go without knowin’ you like that at least once...” He sighed a little, not enjoying the thought of leaving Ted, not even wanting to mention it, but not about to lie and sound like he was going to be around forever, because he certainly wasn’t. “It’d be something I’d regret forever.”

Ted looked solemn, a little upset at the thought of Cody going and Cody stroked his cheek lightly. “We’ve got a few days Teddy. This is a safe place for us, mostly. I never thought for a moment you’d be here, but you are and I wanna spend all the time I can with you. We’ve got time... just not enough of it.”

Ted chewed on his bottom lip a moment, looking incredibly sexy in Cody’s eyes. So much so that he wanted to reassure Ted he was going nowhere, that he’d stay in Bone Orchard and the two of them would remain in this room for the rest of their lives. But that would be a long way from the truth and he kept quiet. Ted seemed to be thinking about something and as Cody watched, he stopped biting his lip and ran his tongue over it instead. Cody was completely captivated.

“Cody?” Ted’s voice was uncertain but determined. “Can I uh, would you let me...” He frowned, trying to think of a less crude way to phrase things and was unable to. “Can I suck you too?”

He had to ask? Cody nodded, mouth suddenly dry as Ted rolled them over so he was on the top, his lips searching out a sensitive spot on Cody’s neck that had the other shivering in delight. Ted might not be experienced, but he was a damned natural at this kind of thing. 

“You have to tell me if I’m not doin’ it right,” Ted said as his mouth moved to Cody’s chest, Cody feeling as if he were leaving hot trails everywhere he touched. “The way you make me feel Cody – I want ta make you feel that good too.”

Cody gasped quietly as Ted’s teeth grazed his pectoral, the man’s breath warm against his skin. “Oh god Teddy,” he breathed, his hands threading in blonde hair. “You ain’t made a wrong move yet.”

~:~

John made some quiet sound of satisfaction as Randy’s tongue ran over his collarbone – damn, the man was something else. He’d never, ever been woken like that before, with another man already buried inside him; he’d certainly never been brought to completion less than fifteen minutes after waking in such a memorable fashion. And he didn’t recall ever feeling so wanted in the aftermath – smothered occasionally but not genuinely desired and feeling the same way himself. Randy didn’t just seem to be trying to turn him on again so much as he was tasting him, almost savouring him and John enjoyed that feeling more than he would ever confess to. 

He didn’t want to ruin the mood or anything, but dawn was rapidly approaching judging by the light increasing through the window and he didn’t know what the hell was going to happen after the day came. Randy might have said they were staying a few days but he had lived off his instincts for a long time and there was every chance that if something didn’t sit right with him, he could collect his boys and be gone in a hurry. He sighed slightly as Randy nipped his collarbone. “Should we be expecting your boys back any time soon?”

Randy chuckled. “Shouldn’t think so,” he said. “If Cody ain’t managed to talk his way into Mr Smith’s bed then he’ll be sleepin’ out underneath the stars. And it turns out Evan’s got some kinda standin’ arrangement with someone else in town.”

John raised his eyebrows a little, wondering who that could be – but he hadn’t met enough people in town to raise a guess, only Melina Morrison, the Mayor and the barkeep Wade. He didn’t see any of them having a clandestine ‘arrangement’ with an outlaw. Then again, until he met Randy he would never have considered himself to be that type either and look at where he was now. The thought of Ted being talked around by Cody was slightly uncomfortable, he’d been brought up sheltered and naive and John was supposed to be watching out for him – but he was a grown man and should know his own mind. Nor was he some effeminate lightweight who couldn’t deal with it if Cody got overly handsy, although John really didn’t see him being that way. And he was pretty good at judging people, even if he wasn’t so sure of his own judgement anymore, not since leaving his town and chasing Randy across the country. 

“I take it you’ve been to Bone Orchard before then,” he said dryly.

Randy paused in his examination of John’s collarbone. “Yeah,” he replied, rather slowly. “Couple years ago. We rode into town and found ourselves surrounded by a whole lotta men with big guns, yelling about somethin’ we had no idea about. Simple case of mistaken identity, we were strangers and everyone was on edge...” Looking up, he realised that John was interested and elaborated. “There’d been a gang ride into town the day before, maybe fifteen guys, whoopin’ it up. Killed six guys, the sheriff included, said they were comin’ back and wanted some reward for not killin’ everyone else – money. Not just what was in the bank, more. Think they expected everyone to get together and donate their life savin’s or somethin’. Why not? I heard tell it worked in a couple other places.”

John nodded, starting to remember something himself. “We got a heads-up about them. They hit up a couple towns, took folk hostage, created a lot of confusion – it worked for awhile.”

“Until they came here,” said Randy with no small amount of satisfaction in his voice. “Jericho asked if we wanted to help out with their posse, they had no intention of lettin’ them get away with what they did but they didn’t know when these guys’d be back. The guys that took ‘em on the first time were injured or killed and there was a couple of the townsfolk who’d been taken with ‘em too. He said he’d pay, so...” Randy shrugged. “It beat robbin’ the bank.”

John was learning more than he’d expected from the man. “And you did it? Took ‘em down?”

“Yeah. Not just us, obviously. There were a whole bunch of men from the town, even a couple of the ladies shootin’ outta the windows...” Randy started laughing. “Had us a hog-killin’ time. Jericho made us a plan, had a pretty good idea of when they’d be back – he thinks like an outlaw, I guess that makes him jest right for politics. Ha, at one point Ev’s horse got taken out from right under him and one of those guys tried to put a knife in his shoulder – Chris ‘bout took his head off with the butt of his rifle, went right on past on his own horse like one o’ those English gentlemen playin’ polo. And the town gifted Ev with a new horse as well as what they paid us. Belonged to some farmer who was powerful sick, couldn’t ride it no more. Damn fine steed.” He neglected to mention that later that night he had spent some private time with the sick farmers unconventional and tough daughter, who presumably still lived out on the farm unless her father had succumbed to the illness he’d had. Or that Cody had made some time with one of the ladies shooting from the window, not that the puritans of the town would have called her a ‘lady’ given how she made her living. Or that Evan had vanished early into the celebrations that evening and never mentioned where he’d gotten to, although Randy was now starting to get a good idea. 

John stared at Randy with some incredulity. “So how didja go from that to robbin’ banks?”

“Guess we decided we liked the money,” said Randy, although it hadn’t been anything near as simple as that. He didn’t really want to talk about it and he resumed trailing his tongue over John’s chest, smirking slightly as the man made a low rumble of enjoyment. But it seemed like John wasn’t done asking questions. 

“How did you three come to be travellin’ together?”

Randy looked up, slightly exasperated. “What is this, pillow talk?”

“I’m curious Randy,” said John, a slight frown creasing his face. “I don’t make a habit of fallin’ into bed with a guy I don’t know nothin’ about. I don’t even know yer last name.”

“Glad to be the exception,” said Randy with a smirk, lips closing around John’s nipple and hearing a quiet hiss. But John didn’t seem happy even so and Randy relented a little. “Orton. That’s my last name. That enough for ya, or you want my middle name too? It’s Keith.”

John gave a little snort of laughter and Randy looked indignant. “See, everyone does that! What’s wrong with Keith?”

“Nothin’,” said John, trying to stop his chuckles. “But c’mon, it doesn’t fit you at all. Sounds like ya should be wearin’ glasses and a foot shorter.”

“Huh.” But Randy didn’t seem all that offended. “Would you be here if I looked like that?”

“Since I doubt you’d never have pulled off bein’ the Viper, then probably not,” returned John. “And how’d ya meet Cody and Evan anyway? They brothers?”

This time Randy’s laugh was startled but certainly genuine. “Brothers? Hell no! I suppose they look a bit alike, but they ain’t really. Nah, I met Evan before I left home – my dad was   
a cowboy, we lived on the edge of town and there was this farm next door, small but it worked out okay. The couple who lived there adopted kids, they didn’t have none of their own and they only took in teenagers – free labour, see? They weren’t bad people especially but kinda... I don’t know. They weren’t doin’ things outta the goodness of their hearts. So Evan shows up one spring, used to live a town or so over but there was a cholera outbreak and Ev’s parents and brothers died. He never said that much about it. He got shipped off there and he was miserable, his mom was a schoolmarm and his pa owned a drugstore, think the bank took that back. Didn’t know nothin’ about workin’ on the land, caught some serious trouble so we struck up a deal. I helped him out some, taught him to ride proper and he—“ 

Randy cut himself off in a hurry, not about to admit that his parents hadn’t seen much value in schooling and Evan had ended up being the one to teach him to read. “He agreed to light out with me when I took off. Spent a while gettin’ by, ran into Cody and there was no way he wasn’t comin’ with us. He hadn’t been on his own all that long neither and him and Evan butted heads some at first, but they liked each other for all that. And that’s that.” He lost the rather wistful expression and smirked again. “That enough information for ya to stay in bed with me, sheriff?”

“Almost.” John smiled back at Randy, knowing he was probably making a mistake but asking anyway. “How long you stayin’ around?”

Randy lost the smile. “I don’t know. We crapped out in the last town, no cash. We got enough to get by, sure, but it fucked my plans. I gotta think what comes next. Few days, maybe a week – but we can’t stick around. Not with a price on our heads.”

“You think the Mayor would allow a bounty hunter to take you down? Here?”

“I don’t know that he’d have a choice, not if the guy breezed in and shot me in the face,” retorted Randy. “Perfectly legal.”

“Yeah...” And there was something John knew he should probably be thinking about, but at that moment he didn’t want to. There wasn’t long until full daytime and he knew he had to go and seek Ted out at some point, even if he got Randy back to himself that night he didn’t want to waste the time they had remaining. His hand stroked over the back of Randy’s head, feeling the short bristles of the man’s hair. Randy seemed to take it as an invitation to stop talking and returned his attention to John’s nipple, without the distraction he had sensed earlier. John growled deep in his throat. “Keep it up – Orton.” Randy chuckled a little and did as he was told.

~:~

Evan gasped and giggled slightly, grin widening, as he found himself underneath Chris as the older man all but tackled him to his bed, straddling his cheeky young lover before leaning down and stealing a kiss. Firm, dexterous hands immediately began pulling at his shirt to get it off, Chris raising his arms to aid the process before tossing the item down to the ground without care, reaching for his pants to undo them as well; Hunter might have forced him to place a temporary halt on their activities but he hadn’t curbed his enthusiasm. Hands stopping his own however made him arch a brow, puzzlement crossing his features and bringing mischievous amusement to Evan’s own… Chris’ heart skipped a few beats in anticipation.

“Y’know, yah never did let me finish this last time,” Evan murmured, pulling the pants Chris had donned for modesty down, and then off, before his hands took up position on Chris’ hips as he began to lower his mouth down onto the blonde’s renewed aching manhood. “Ah, Christ, Evan!” Chris moaned, head rolling back onto his pillows and the previous conversation with Hunter being wiped from his mind. Later on in the day, when he was away from Evan and all his sensually seductive charm, he would recount the matter and go and forewarn Miss Mickie to keep an eye on herself and her dealings, to tell her to seek him out at the first sign of something suspicious, but that would be later. Much, much later.

The sight of Evan’s lips wrapped around him as his wicked little imp hollowed his cheeks, suckling and licking in the most maddeningly pleasurable manner he had ever experienced, was almost enough to bring him to the edge then and there, as though he was some young buck with his first lady and not a mature man with considerable experience in such matters… though his experience with Evan had been by far the most enjoyable. “Evan…” he groaned the younger man’s name in barely restrained passion and Evan thrilled at the sound of it. Sucking someone off wasn’t something he had ever really relished before, the act having always struck him as something more intimate than sex (yeah, yeah, call him weird all you wanted, Cody and Randy did all the time when he tried to explain his thoughts) but with Chris it was so empowering and thrilling to know that he could get the other so het up and improper. Doing his best to look up at Chris as he continued to pleasure him Evan sincerely hoped that he was managing to look as sexy as he was hoping for; though Chris had sworn there had been no others like him there was a part of Evan that just couldn’t let that thought go, and wanted to overshadow any competition.

However, feeling himself being eased from Chris at the moment he was sure the other was close to coming was /not/ something he had expected or exactly wanted, and he found himself pouting heavily up at the other through swollen, pre-cum and saliva slickened lips. Through the rather ragged breaths he was taking to try and compose himself Chris let out a low moan; Evan looked so tempting, so sinful and yet there was an undercurrent of beautiful innocence that just didn’t seem shaken regardless of what Evan might have done. Reaching, he cupped the younger ma’s cheeks and drew him in for a kiss, uncaring that he could taste himself upon the other’s lips and tongue. As they kissed Chris gently lay the younger man down again, letting their bodies slide together slowly, feeling his weeping arousal rubbing alongside Evan’s own. “I want to be inside you again, Evan, I don’t think I could last another minute without feeling you,” he murmured.

Shivering from both the words and the way Chris’ fingers were sliding teasingly between his buttocks, Evan whined softly and tried to arch his hips some more in invitation, “What’re ya waitin’ fer, Mayor?” A small smirk greeted his words and Chris shook his head, “Not this time, minx, this time we’re gonna take it slow… and if you don’t be patient then I’m gonna have t’putcha across ma knee, alright?” why Chris thought Evan would be wholly opposed to that idea he had no idea, he was always open for new experiences, but he decided that this one time he’d be good… from the feel of things the build-up was going to be so worth it. “That’s a good boy,” Chris chuckled softly as he pecked Evan’s nose, chuckling once more at the way the younger man wrinkled it before he caught his lips in a slow, thorough kiss, savouring the feel of Evan underneath him.

Breaking the kiss he then moved his lips to Evan’s jaw, kissing along the lightly stubbled expanse and then continuing downwards. “I don’t want you to leave until before lunch, understand?” he mumbled into Evan’s neck, his free hand skating over one of Evan’s legs and over his thigh, glancing up his chest and pausing to play with a nipple, causing Evan to mew and writhe slightly, body seemingly more sensitive than before with the slow pace that they had going on. “Why before lunch?” Evan murmured back breathily, curious. Chris momentarily didn’t respond, too busy getting himself reacquainted with the shape of Evan’s pec by the use of his tongue, but then the words were spoken against his flesh, “My house-keeper Maria comes by at lunch and although I highly doubt she’d have a problem with your presence I don’t want to scar the poor girl too much… the table and the mess we left in the sitting-room’ll be more than enough.” A small flicker of jealousy ran through Evan at the fondness in Chris’ tone directed towards the woman even though he knew he was being ridiculous to feel such a way over a woman he had never met, and who had probably done nothing to warrant his unease. “Is she pretty?” he found himself asking, cursing himself almost the second the words had left his mouth because Chris’ mouth then left his skin, his lover leaning over him to look him in the eyes, smiling slightly, “Why Evan… are you jealous?”

“No, don’ talk foolish,” Evan huffed quietly though even in the darkness Chris could see the tell-tale colouring of Evan’s cheeks. “Y’sure about that?” Chris murmured with a smile, nuzzling Evan. When the younger man refused to engage him he sighed and exhaled a breath before tilting his lover’s head around to face him, “I’m sure /Maria’s husband/ finds her very pretty.” Almost immediately Evan’s tension seemed to ease and Chris leant down to peck his lips, “Silly boy, even though she’s pretty it doesn’t matter because there’s no-one prettier than you.” Evan looked torn between amusement and mild offence, “Men aren’t pretty, Mr Mayor,” he protested and Chris leant down and nibbled his earlobe, “I beg to differ, puppy, because you are /very/ pretty indeed…” his tongue tracing between Evan’s pecs was enough to forestall any protests that Evan might have had, a low moan leaving him at the sensation, fingers curling through Chris’ dirty blonde hair, feeling the soft tresses and tugging at them lightly, not enough to cause pain but enough to feel.

“… like this, for instance,” Chris murmured, swearing he could feel the temperature rising in Evan as his tongue went down to his bellybutton, delving inside of it and then back out again, a finger easing into the smaller man, “… the way you blush all over is so very pretty,” Chris murmured, glancing up at Evan just before taking a perking nipple into his mouth. The duel sensations were enough to make Evan squirm, moaning lowly, hands moving to cup the back of Chris’ neck as he breathed, “Oh, Chris…” Chris knew he’d never grow tired of hearing his name spoken in such a fashion. “Mhm?” Chris responded in a mumble around Evan’s nipple, smirking just a little with the small yipping sound that Evan gave as he nipped at the hard bud in his mouth, feeling his lover’s body jumping slightly. A second finger was eased into the tightness of Evan’s body alongside the first, beginning to stretch the other with much more care than he had shown earlier, per Evan’s request.

“You doin’ alright there, Ev?” Chris murmured, his mouth now resting mere millimetres from Evan’s own, the pair of them breathing the same musky, warm air, the growing arousal between them both almost thick enough that they could taste it. “I’d be doin’ better if ya’d hurry up,” Evan mumbled, a sheen of sweat beginning upon both his and Chris’ bodies. A low, husky chuckle left Chris, “It’s not a race lover, jus’ calm ya passions.” Evan made some sort of snipe to him, but Chris had already smothered the words with his own lips so he’d missed exactly what they were. They were still kissing as Chris eased a third and final finger into Evan, enthralled by the way that Evan arched and bucked against his fingers, trying to take them deeper. Up until that point Chris had been deliberately avoiding Evan’s prostate, not wanting to over-stimulate the other too soon (he had said he was going to slow down next time, to make love to Evan properly and damn it he was going to do so!) but as soon as he noticed that Evan seemed to be adjusting to the sensation of three fingers moving in and out of him, he then cork-screwed them in what was apparently the /perfect/ manner, because Evan almost flew upright so hard he nearly dislodged Chris’ fingers.

“Easy cowboy,” Chris’ free hand pressed down on Evan’s abdomen, licking his lips as he watched with mounting arousal and satisfaction as he watched Evan moan and writhe underneath his ministrations. His lover’s short nails scratched at his arms somewhat but Chris didn’t mind, actually liked the small flicker of pain, and even though he knew what that impassioned gesture meant he didn’t stop teasing the other until Evan all but screamed, “Now! Chris, I want you inside of me now!” easing his fingers out of Evan, Chris then moved himself between the younger man’s spread thighs, chuckling huskily as he wrapped those lovely limbs around his hips and then started to ease himself into the other, “It’s a good job Helmsley’s not here now, downstairs, because if he heard you screamin’ so beautifully he’d then dare ask whether he could get a chance with you, and then I’d have to hurt ‘im.”

Barely able to focus on the words being spoken lowly in his ear because he was much too concentrated upon the feeling of Chris slowly sinking into him slowly, inch by inch, causing all the breath to expel from his lungs in one high-pitched gasp. When Chris was seated completely inside of him Evan wriggled his hips slowly, experimentally, getting used to the sensation. The small movements extracted the most gratifying noises from the blonde over him and Evan ran his hands up and over Chris’ arms and shoulders before bringing them back down again, drawing Chris into a kiss as his hands completed the same circuit the second time around. “Move, old man,” Evan mumbled against Chris’ lips, giving a sound a cross between a giggle and a gasp as Chris’ hand connected with his buttock lightly, “Behave, minx.”

True to his internal promise Chris moved his hips slowly, barely thrusting into Evan at all and more allowing the other to feel him there, pressing firmly against his prostate but not being enough to actually give him more than a dull prickle of pleasure in the back of his mind. After a few determined pumps of Evan’s hips though he stopped teasing and drew back enough to thrust back in again, slow and deep, Evan arching beautifully with the motion. No words were needed between them after that, the symphony of gasps and moans and the feeling of feet digging into Chris’ lower-back or Chris’s hands tightening around Evan’s hips communicated to each what the other was feeling. When Chris’ hand finally wrapped around his aching length Evan was almost crying with the beauty of it all.

~:~

“Glad to hear it,” Ted murmured softly, his mouth shyly enclosing over Cody’s nipple and then beginning to suckle on it; he remembered how good it had felt when Cody had done it to him so he wanted to see if it felt as great for the other. The sound that Cody made and the way the younger man’s hands kneaded at his shoulders was enough to tell him that it was definitely doing something positive to him. He swapped to the other side, experimentally nibbling the bud. “Ah, goddamn, that feels /so/ good!” Cody moaned, hand tightening against Ted’s shoulder as he arched his head into the pillow underneath him. Feeling emboldened by the reactions he continued down, licking and kissing over the expanse of Cody’s lovely stomach and the toned abdomen that he had been focused upon almost since the first time he had seen Cody without a shirt on. The muscles jumped and twitched underneath his lips and tongue and Ted took his time to inhale the warmth and musk of Cody’s flesh, pausing only momentarily when he found himself being confronted with Cody’s erected cock. It was definitely large, as he had garnered already, and momentarily he felt out of depth again.

Pushing aside his reservations (he knew he /wanted/ to do this, and that Cody wouldn’t laugh at him if he wasn’t too good at it considering how it was his first time having a go at such a thing) Ted slowly licked Cody from base to tip, feeling the throbbing vein that ran through the length of his lover’s shaft, and /hearing/ the gasping cry that Cody gave, hips jerking. Ted managed to catch Cody’s hips before the other choked him too badly, though he had to pull off to cough a little regardless—his gag-reflex was downright awful. He recovered faster than even he had expected though, keeping his hands latched onto Cody’s lips this time as he began to slowly lick over the other, experimentally covering Cody’s shaft in a light sheen of saliva, preparing the other for when he took him into his mouth properly… something he was attempting to do right at that very moment in time, actually. “Ted!” Cody choked.

Ted stopped, but then felt Cody’s hand threading into his hair lightly, restlessly kneading his scalp. He wasn’t forcing Ted or guiding him in any way, but he just needed something to hold onto. His voice shook slightly as he breathed, “Ted, please, it’s so good, so good—“he realised that he had probably given the other the wrong impression about his technique from his reaction but he hastily reserved to right the factor. If he couldn’t be inside Ted’s mouth soon than he was damn-well sure his head was going to explode. That or his body was somehow going to burst into flame because of the boiling sensation that was curling inside of his abdomen. Smiling a little shyly, Ted then ducked his head and took the head of Cody’s length into his mouth, tongue running around the rather bulbous head. Already he could taste copious amounts of pre-cum leaking from the other in his arousal.

At first blush Ted supposed it didn’t taste bad, slightly bitter but not awful, though he wasn’t sure how well he was going to react when Cody came. However, that was something that he would need to be concerned about when it came down to it and not before because he knew that if he thought too much then he was going to end up bottling out and not going through with it—and he knew he would hate himself if he didn’t attempt this at least once. As Cody had said he’d be leaving soon, and this was probably the only genuine encounter that Ted was ever going to have with another human being (the next time, after Cody had left and he’d return home he’d probably have nothing to do with someone else sexually ever again unless it was his ‘bride’) and he wanted to do as much as he possibly could until that time for their separation to come… the sex part he was still rather concerned about though, not sure if he was ready to try that yet.

Bit by bit, slowly but surely, but not so much so that Cody lost interest, Ted took Cody deeper into his mouth and then started to bob his head the way that he remembered Cody doing when he had been the one to go down on Ted in this fashion. Cody was throbbing in his mouth, his flavour and thickness giving Ted the most illicit of thrills as it moved in and out of his mouth. Though he obviously wasn’t the most expert at this activity his enthusiasm sure made up for it and Cody had no complaints whatsoever; he made sure that Ted knew it by all the sounds that he made and the way that he tried to keep the other as close as possible without overwhelming him and hindering him more so than helping him. It was an embarrassingly short time indeed before Cody felt that tight coil in his abdomen getting tighter and tighter, his thighs beginning to quiver in that tell-tale manner that he was reaching his end.

“Teddy, yeh’re gonna have t’pull off if you don’ want me to—“he was returning the warning that the other had tried to give him earlier… and, to his shock, Ted stayed right where he was. It was that realisation that tipped him over the edge, his head thrashing back and forth as he cried out breathlessly, his seed spilling into Ted’s waiting mouth. He managed to swallow a good majority of it, but afterwards he found himself choking somewhat since he wasn’t quite prepared for how much the other would, ahem, /give/. The liquid was thick in his mouth, with that same bitter hint, but it wasn’t terribly bad… swallowing it wasn’t something that he was sure he could enjoy very often so he—wait, why was he thinking such a thing when this was probably the only time he was going to get to do this? It wasn’t as though he had to worry did he? And damn it, why was his mind kicking in now more than ever? Coughing heavily, Ted wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, Cody laying there dazed and spent from his climax, though he hastened to try and comfort the other when he was calm.

“Sorry, oh, fuck, sorry—“Cody said, reaching and wiping a little bit of his own seed from Ted’s chin, his eyes glazed over somewhat as he cupped Ted’s flush cheeks. “That was amazing,” he murmured softly, seeing the coy way which Ted looked up at him underneath his lashes, still breathing rather hard and his lips swollen. “R-Really?” he managed, voice a little hoarse just because of his previous swallowing and such. “At risk of sounding offensive I almost can’t believe that that was your first time,” Cody added, leaning in and brushing rather sweet kisses over Ted’s burning cheeks and then kissing his lip, uncaring that he could taste himself there. “You’re being far too generous…” Ted mumbled, feeling as though he had rather made a bit of a mess about it, but at least Cody had actually /gotten something/ out of it after all, so he hadn’t completely failed he supposed.

“I’m not,” Cody smiled slightly, drawing Ted into his arms and lying back against the covers, gratified when Ted settled into his embrace almost immediately. “Yeh were absolutely stunnin’,” he caressed Ted’s blonde hair and nuzzled his ear. Ted shivered gently at the action, breath catching a tiny bit—though he was much too exhausted for much more at that moment in time. It was rather comfortable though, just to be lain together without thinking too hard about needing to fill the silence with pointless chatting. “Fancy gettin’ a bit more shut-eye?” Cody mumbled, fancying to settle down indeed for a little bit more time just having Ted in his bed. “You like your sleep then, do you Cody?” Ted asked, unable to help chuckling a little.

“Do you not realise how comfortable you make a bed?” Cody asked softly, settling with his head atop Ted’s chest, Ted’s fingers gently caressing his neck in a manner that made him very relaxed. “Besides… beds are probably goin’ t’be a luxury that I ain’t gonna get t’feel for a while when we leave.” He could have sworn he felt Ted tensing underneath his head but the sensation only lasted for a few seconds so he figured that the other was maybe just getting comfortable. “Are you really so nervous about having sex with another man?” he couldn’t help but ask after several moments of quiet, not really sure that he was going to sleep actually because it would be wasted time with Ted there even though he was serious when he said that he felt much more comfortable in bed with Ted there. He wondered absently if cuddling under the stars with the other underneath the stars in the rough would seem more comfortable.

And then he thought that that was stupid of him to consider because, /really/, Ted coming on the run with him, donning the dark bandana of an outlaw, gun on hip and never settling down for more than a few days at a time, was not something that he could see the other doing very often. Or, y’know, at all. “It’s not…” Ted bit his lip; he was still sure that the intercourse between men was considered a sin, but that wasn’t what frightened him as much as he was making out, Cody’s earlier comments having soothed his concerns somewhat. “Then what is it, Teddy?” Cody asked, sounding not irritated, just listening, and Ted exhaled a breath. What /really/ scared him was the thought of giving himself to Cody and then having the other riding off into the sunset never to be seen again, because he wasn’t sure if he could handle that. His emotions were far too intense with regards for Cody as it was, and he wasn’t sure how much more he could handle without finally breaking down when the time came for them to come apart. “I… I don’t even know anymore,” he admitted softly, turning his head enough to look to at his lover.

~:~

“You gonna miss me, Cena, that the problem?” Randy asked as he brought his mouth away from John’s nipple, taking the other one into his mouth when he saw the other open his mouth to respond. John groaned softly and then sighed, his hand tensing around the back of the other’s neck as he murmured, “So what if I will, huh?” he knew he could always pass it off as Randy’s ego if he started acting all tense about it because, well… it /was/ rather serious, wasn’t it? And that would be dangerous for the pair of them if word of it ever got out, more so than if someone happened to just cotton on about the fact that they had just had sex. If someone thought that there was something more between them then… it didn’t actually bear thinking about.

“Well, then I’d count meself as very lucky indeed,” Randy smirked that devious smirk that John just hadn’t been able to resist since the first time he’d seen it. “Your ego’s massive, have you noticed?” John chuckled quietly and then Randy shrugged, “Not as big as /some things/, huh?” he rolled his hips a little and then said, “I hope you aren’t thinkin’ o’ ridin’ anywhere soon John… other than me, of course.” Randy’s brows waggled and John chuckled again before gasping as Randy nipped at his nipple, “Ow, fucker,” he protested, giving the other a nudge. Randy continued his path down John’s body, “Can tell you worked out hard as a kid, huh?” a wan chuckle left John as he shook his head, “I used to be a beanpole, would you believe me? No decent muscle definition whatsoever.”

“Well, I’m glad you filled out—“Randy started, mouth currently attached to John’s bellybutton, hearing what sounded suspiciously like a giggle as his tongue glanced around the sensitive area, “—because otherwise I woulda been afraid o’ breakin’ ya beanpole arse if I fucked it the way I had before.” John snorted a laugh out of the other, whacking him lightly atop the head. “Ow!” John then yipped as Randy ended up biting his stomach, “Damn it Orton—“Randy sat up a little, rubbing the top of his head, “That wasn’t my fault, Cena, that was yours! Who hits a man like that anyway?” the man pouted before then leaning up and stealing a deep kiss, hands skimming over the other man’s sides and strong legs. It was rather nice just to indulge in touching one another without being so determinedly sexual about it, though John sincerely doubted that they would be making it to breakfast without having at least /one more/ round with one another. Something told him they might have to go for room-service, because he really didn’t think he could get himself out of bed for the foreseeable future, too… well, /fucked/, for want of a better word.

“I could always ride you instead,” Randy said innocently, obviously getting over the fact that John had hit him because he was attaching his mouth back at John’s hip and beginning to bite and nibble the other’s skin. “You tryin’ t’eat me, Randy?” John groaned softly, groaning softly as he /knew/ that Randy was going to be leaving a mark behind. He supposed it was a good job that he didn’t have some wife at home because he would have had some serious trouble trying to hide them from her, or indeed from anyone else if he changed before them. The only plus-side he supposed was that Ted was probably going to be bearing his own marks so he couldn’t really pick on John about the illicitness that he had done with the outlaw. He guessed it was maybe true what they said: good boys liked bad boys just as much as the good girls did. And, truth be told, he didn’t think he had ever met a boy as bad as Randy Orton. He didn’t know what it was but he really enjoyed saying the other’s name over and over again in his mind. Of course, because that sounded ridiculous, he kept the thought to himself because he had to retain some of his manly pride and all that.

“I would, believe me,” Randy smirked, “I could quite happily just eat you all up.” John shook his head in amusement, “You strange, strange man.” Randy nipped John’s opposite hip in protest to the words, looking to the lightning sky outside. “I’m guessin’ we’ll have until lunch before my boys turn up—“they deserved a chance to unwind for a bit considering this was a new experience for them both in that they actively sought someone… usually they had people falling over themselves to get hold of them. “—so we have some more time together, sheriff…” Randy leant up a little, chin resting on John’s solid abdomen, looking up at the brunette, “Whatcha gonna do when I leave, sheriff? I doubt you or that boy wanna follow us across t’border, ‘cause you wouldn’ be able to get hold of us for anythin’ that’s done out here.” John knew that, and John knew that Randy knew he knew that, it was just a case of making sure that they were both on the same page as one another. Randy was determined to find out /just/ what John was going to be doing when he went.

“I guess I’ll be takin’ Ted home and heading home myself…” though truth be told he wasn’t overly thrilled about the fact of returning home to his previously monotonous life. He had never expected that he would crave something like the bank-robbery happening the time Randy and his buddies ended up on his land, so to speak, to have such excitement, but life seemed so dull in the retrospective consideration. “Good,” Randy said immediately, “Because I don’t wancha to become some sort of vigilante, John.” And he wasn’t just saying that because he had some ingrained criminal code to try and protect other outlaws like that, because he didn’t believe in that horseshit, but because he didn’t want John putting himself in danger. The brunette’s eyes flickered slightly at the words, a small smile touching his lips, shaking his head a little, “Look at the concern, huh?” Randy poked John’s stomach, “I’m bein’ serious, alright? You need to watch yerself, you’ve been in trouble before, remember?” he wasn’t overly thrilled about that, you know, but that was why he was even more vigilant than normal. The brunette exhaled a breath and then said, “It’s good that’cha aren’t gonna come after us anymore. Nothin’s gonna come of it. Well, aside from a deep connection of absolutely amazing sex.” That cheeky grin was back and almost immediately the atmosphere was lightened again and John laughed softly, placing a hand on the back of Randy’s neck and then pulling the other up so that they could have a deep, passionate kiss.

Their tongues twined and turned, dancing with one another’s as Randy’s body slid up John’s once more and they merely spent some time kissing one another, caressing one another, John’s hands tracing over the strong curve of Randy’s back and then down to his taunt buttocks, glancing over the edge of his stunningly thick thighs. As they pulled apart Randy reached down and trailed his fingers over the deliciously thick semi-erect shaft nestled between John’s own thighs, John’s eyes widening slightly as he shivered somewhat. “Fuckin’ ‘ell, Orton, do you never stop?” Randy gave John an incredulous look that said, ‘Are you seriously asking me that question, John?’ and John rolled his eyes a little bit. When Randy’s hand began to move over his length John shivered and he groaned lowly, feeling the familiar stirring sensation already coming back to him even though he hadn’t been too long away from his last orgasm. “You’re gonna kill me, Randy—“

“Well, you’ll have a good time before ‘and wontcha?” Randy said without much regret at all, feeling the way that John grew beneath his hand, the man’s body obviously not having as much problem as his mind might be telling him that he had then. Their mouths met again, Randy keeping the pace slower, allowing John to slowly move into the situation as opposed to when they had been easy to just pounce on one another earlier on, their sexual aggression so much thicker, so much more determined. They needn’t rush, they had to eventually break out of their little situation, yes, but that didn’t mean that Randy was going to end up rushing any more than he wanted to, since it was just too much of a good thing to rush. Who knew when John might be seen by him again, if they would ever seem one another again, and he didn’t want to keep too bogged down on the /seriousness/ of the situation. “Sure you aren’t too interested in goin’ fer another ride? Coulda sworn you weren’t that old, sheriff…” Randy teased the other, and John lightly slapped Randy’s buttocks, the younger man gasping a little in surprise at the sudden action; he hadn’t been expecting that at all, and there was a strange little part of him that was quite thrilled by the action. “Ooh, kinky there sheriff…” he teased the man, and John did it again.

“Don’t be gettin’ cheeky with me, Randy, or you won’t be gettin’ anythin’ else offa me.” Ok, maybe that was a little bit high, because he sincerely doubted that he could turn the other down, but he had to at least say /something/ to try and get Randy’s teasing to be hushed up. Randy smirked softly then and reached, picking up one of John’s hands and then slipping three fingers into his own mouth, giving a playfully obscene moan around the digits as he slickened them with saliva. He wanted John inside of him again (and usually he wasn’t overly thrilled about the thought of allowing himself in the submissive position usually) and he was pretty sure by now that John wasn’t going to be protesting anymore. Easing the fingers out of his mouth he then brought them back around to his backside, easing one of the digits inside of him. “Ooh…” the low moan rumbled out of Randy’s throat, the man shifting forward so that he was easier to straddle John’s waist, leaning forward somewhat, able to have himself prepared easier without breaking their contact as it stood.

The sound Randy gave was mimicked by John, the man figuring that their banter was over for the moment and that was just fine. Dawn was only just going over the town and Randy said they had until lunchtime, probably stopping for breakfast… John eased a second finger into Randy and began to scissor them both together, stretching Randy open for his cock. “You are /so/ tight,” John breathed thickly, Randy shivering at the flame that he could see in John’s eyes; the change to the innocent baby-blue becoming a smoky oceanic-blue was enough to send unusual tremors through Randy’s spine. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been more interested in a person, let alone having more than one round with the same person… he didn’t think he’d done that since he had first been sexually involved with someone. “Hey, by the way,” John’s dimples flashed, well aware he was breaking the mood but uncaring, “Since we’re tradin’ details about one anotha, my middle names are Felix Anthony.”


	12. Chapter Eleven: Running From The Noose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ted almost slips up in a way that gives Cody more information than he'd like, and the boys' otherwise blissful mornings are somewhat scuppered by the arrival of a potentially unwelcome visitor.

Chris was certain he had never felt anything at all like he was doing right then; not even the other times the evening before when he had taken Evan. That had been about gratification, this was something entirely different. Evan seemed to feel it too, because he was making no attempt to rush them through this as he had before, giving quiet mewls of deep satisfaction. Chris wrapped a hand around Evan’s shaft, meeting the other man’s dark eyes and wondering a moment if this was what people meant when they talked about the person who turned their world upside-down. Certainly that happened to him whenever Evan showed up on his doorstep. 

Slowly Chris began to move his hand up and down Evan’s shaft, rewarded with a moan and Evan’s hands tightening on his arms. Damn, he didn’t want this to end, ever, but given how he was getting closer with every move he wasn’t sure that he’d have the option. They might have gone on longer than their previous more urgent couplings but he was fast approaching the crescendo and given how Evan’s moans had taken on a higher pitch and a new desperation, his lover was feeling that too – and was there anything more erotic than the way Evan spoke his name? If there was, Chris had yet to hear it. 

“Ev—“ Chris couldn’t help it, he gave into the urge to speed up his movements, leaning down a moment to press a messy kiss to Evan’s lips. Chris’ hand was already slick with precum, Evan was tightening around him every time he thrust in as if unwilling to let him go and Chris moaned, speeding up the motions of his hand. 

Beneath him, Evan closed his eyes and didn’t even try to fight off the feelings overtaking him, knowing it would do him no good at all. It was too powerful, he was no match for it.

Much later he would liken it to the moments when he was doing something his friends described as reckless and suicidal, the brief moment when he had no idea what would come next followed by the mad exhilaration when he realised it was actually going to pay off – not exactly like that but as close as he was ever going to be able to describe it. Hanging on to Chris as if he was the only thing that could keep him grounded he gave a hoarse cry, his release coating them both as he attempted to push himself back even deeper onto Chris. He would have thought before this morning that he would be unable to really enjoy taking his time and savouring the build-up as well as the payoff, but he had been very wrong, with Chris things were always good but this was a new level of intensity. Somewhere in the midst of his own pleasure he was aware of Chris repeating his name urgently, the blondes release deep inside him causing him to give another moan that mixed with Chris’, the pair trying to remain joined even as their orgasms wore off. 

“Oh god Chris,” said Evan rather weakly, pulling Chris on top of him properly. Chris’ arms were shaking, not wanting to hold him up any longer and he fell onto the smaller man without complaint. Evan kissed his cheek, seeking out his lips and immediately lost what little breath he’d regained. It was well worth it. 

After a while Chris moved, rolling off Evan so that the smaller man could breathe more easily, not that Evan was wholly pleased to lose the man’s weight. But Chris pulled Evan to his chest right away, kissing Evan’s forehead and making him chuckle – damn, it was such an oddly tender gesture that he wasn’t entirely sure how to take it. Chris’ returning chuckle sounded weary and Evan could understand that, they had been up for most of the night and been disturbed at a stupidly early hour – and did Chris put up with that all the time? He’d go crazy within a week. Being the Mayor seemed like a lot of hard work. 

He heard the change in Chris’ breathing as the man fell asleep and determined that he was going to taunt him for it later – payback for the ‘puppy’ comments. Not that he minded those, although anyone else would have been looking on the floor for their teeth. Smirking at the thought, he gave himself twenty minutes or so to relax, enjoy the feeling of Chris sleeping beside him. But the day was brightening and he could hear voices drifting up from the streets, signalling to him that it was time he considered movement. Chris had said that his housekeeper would be there at midday and Evan didn’t want to put him into an awkward position. Managing to rouse himself from the bed, he pulled on his trousers rather carefully, leaving them unfastened as he went down the stairs. 

His first stop was in the living room, where he grinned at the sight of the broken, splintered table. It was beyond repair and he gathered up the pieces, dumping about half beside the fireplace and the rest on the fireplace itself, getting it started and heading off to find the water bucket and the tin bath that had to be around somewhere. That done, he left the water to heat and checked out the kitchen. There wasn’t lots of food, more snack-type items that made Evan wonder if Maria brought fresh every day, it seemed likely. Chris didn’t seem like the type to cook much and the woodstove was aggressively clean. But there was bread wrapped in cloth and a little cured meat and cheese that he decided would do. 

Finishing off the bath, he put the fire out and went up the stairs again, leaping onto the bed and straddling Chris over the covers, leaning down to kiss the other man hard. Chris blinked awake, taking in Evan and smiling. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Old men need their mid-morning naps,” Evan teased, leaning forward and giving Chris another innocent smile. “C’mon, you said your housekeeper’ll be here at noon and you don’t wanna shock her. I ran ya a bath.”

“Aren’t you domestic?” Chris teased, sitting up and kissing Evan again. One kiss turned to two, then three, then Evan broke away, chuckling. 

“You’ll never get cleaned off before she gets here if you keep this up,” he said, trying to be stern. “I’m making sandwiches too.”

“Is this some clever plan to replace Maria as my housekeeper?” asked Chris, reluctantly getting out of bed as Evan moved off him. 

“Don’t get used to it,” warned Evan. 

“You havin’ the water too?”

“I dunno. You piss in the tub?”

“No!”

“I still dunno. Maybe I wanna smell of you all day.”

Chris grinned, his rather possessive side coming to the front at the thought. He liked that idea a whole lot, even though it wasn’t practical. “Shame the tub ain’t big enough for the both of us.”

Evan paused at that thought, liking it. “I guess we’ll hafta settle for me scrubbin’ your back. And then you scrubbin’ mine. And then sittin’ around wet and naked and eatin’ sandwiches.”

“Ain’t that the thing dirty dreams are made of.” Chris found his clothes and a couple of towels, pausing a moment. “You goin’ back to the saloon?”

“I better tell the guys I ain’t lit outta town,” said Evan casually. “And you’ve got your Mayoral duties to attend to. Course, if there’s a spare place in that big bed o’ yours tonight, I could be tempted to take it.”

“For you, there’s always room,” said Chris, trying not to show how suddenly delighted he was by the implication. “You can even use the door instead of climbin’ through the window if yer like.”

“No promises.” Evan grinned and headed out of the room again.

~:~

“You don’t know?” Cody’s voice wasn’t annoyed, just questioning and rather calm. He didn’t want to upset Ted by questioning him relentlessly until he really backed off, but he wasn’t sure that Ted really didn’t know. He thought that either Ted was too shy to say, or perhaps didn’t know how to articulate how he felt. 

Ted remained quiet for long moments. How was he supposed to say that he didn’t know if the loss of Cody would be made more unbearable by them having sex? Or that he wasn’t sure if it was wise, given how crazy he’d already gone over the man? “It’s something I’d hafta think about,” he settled for in the end, wondering if Cody was going to ask him any further questions, because he wasn’t sure how he’d answer them. 

“That’s fine,” said Cody amicably, kissing Ted’s chest. “I’d wait forever for you to be ready, if I had forever. But I don’t know how long I have Teddy.”

Ted lay back on the pillow, knowing that what Cody said was true but not at all sure what he was going to do about it. Did he want to? Oh yes, even after a lifetime of being taught that such things were wrong, meeting Cody seemed to hold all those things up to the light and prove them a myth. But if he gave himself heart, body and soul to the other man then it would hurt that much more when he was gone – not that it wasn’t going to hurt anyway. Then again, the voice that had told him to follow his instincts and go after the man in the first place reminded him, he had already taken the kind of crazy plunge that he would never have thought himself capable of. Wasn’t it better to give in entirely instead of tentatively rather than regretting what he hadn’t done for the rest of his life? 

He’d fallen for Cody too fast, too hard and against all logic. And he didn’t know what to do for the best. It wasn’t like there was a future in it, even if Cody hadn’t been an outlaw they could never have carried on a normal courtship. As it was, he didn’t even know Cody’s real name – and Cody didn’t know his either, he realised with some unease. 

“Ted.” Cody moved up Ted’s body, planting a kiss on the man’s cheek. “Anyone ever mention ya think too much? You’re doin’ it right now. Weighin’ up all the stuff that might or might not happen – ever think of just leavin’ it to chance?”

“I like to know what the consequences of what I do might be,” Ted replied, a little surprised. He had assumed Cody would think that he was dozing or something. 

“Y’can’t see every consequence,” Cody said, slightly amused. “Don’t hurt to be spur of the moment sometimes. Made no earthly sense to come out here and you did it anyway, how did that turn out for ya? Or should you have stayed home?”

Ted considered for a moment what he might be doing had he not gone and wrinkled his nose. He’d be in his own bed, probably still thinking about Cody and torturing himself with thoughts of the handsome outlaw he’d never lay eyes on again, because he hadn’t been courageous enough to take a chance on the unexpected. “I’m damned glad I came.”

Cody chuckled for no good reason that Ted could see. “Sometimes goin’ with yer instincts is the best thing to do, not thinkin’ about it ‘til yer head hurts and it’s all tangled up, or you never do anything.” He stroked a hand against Ted’s cheek, kissing him again. “You wanna get some more shut-eye?”

“Not really,” said Ted, surprising himself a little as he moved so that he could kiss Cody again. Within moments they were engaged passionately but slowly, almost restrained, not rushing anything. Their hands roamed over each other curiously but without sexual intent, learning about one another and when the room was properly filled with daylight, neither of them had become bored. 

~:~

Randy wouldn’t have thought he could be distracted from the feeling of John stretching him out in the way he was doing – he was slightly stretched out still from their earlier activities but he bottomed so rarely that he was still pretty damned tight – but hearing the man’s middle names did the trick; he started laughing. “Couldn’t yer parents make up their minds or did they think you were the last one they were havin’ and wanted ta hang all their names on you?”  
John mock-growled and thrust his fingers suddenly and sharply inside Randy, hitting his prostate and causing the man not to care even slightly about what John’s middle names were as long as he kept doing that. “Fuck,” he hissed, moving himself further back on those fingers and moaning slightly as John added a third. 

“Somethin’ funny?” asked John innocently, allowing his fingertips to merely brush against that bundle of nerves again. 

“Forgot already,” returned Randy, rather shakily. “Hell Cena—“

“Perhaps I oughta have ya screamin’ every one of my names ta help you remember,” said John with a smirk, pulling his fingers from Randy unexpectedly and rather pleased to hear the unimpressed mutter from the other at the action. Randy started to move, no doubt so that he could straddle John and take his length that way but that wasn’t what John wanted at that moment. He liked it when Randy took charge and it would have been damned sweet to have the other man riding him but knowing that Randy was more than capable of taking everything he wanted to give made him anxious to show more domination than having Randy like that would give him. Before the other could position himself, John grabbed Randy’s sides and flipped him neatly so that he was on his back, amused at the startled and not especially masculine sound that Randy let out, pinning him there by his thighs. 

“Make ya jump?” he asked with a smirk. Randy flipped him off and John raised an eyebrow, his smirk only widening. “Keep it up and that’ll be the only thing ya spendin’ time with today.”

Randy moved his hands to tuck them beneath his head in a gesture of classic casualness, or it would have been if not for the obvious erection he was sporting. “Like you could resist this. What ya waitin’ for?”

“Cocky bastard.” John grasped Randy’s thighs, drawing the man’s legs over his shoulders and smirking at the slight change in Randy’s expression as the head of his cock nudged the man’s entrance; his darkened eyes looked both wary and eager although the outwardly casual expression didn’t change. That worked fine for John, he drove himself completely inside of Randy and stilled. The taller man lost all pretence of nonchalance, giving a cry and grabbing for the bars of the headboard. 

“That get yer attention?” John took hold of Randy’s hips, withdrawing almost totally before slamming home again, keeping things slow. “Guess y’ain’t gonna be able to ride out anywhere today.”

Randy gave a dark smile that John found entirely erotic, hanging onto the headboard (and John was already wondering if he could find the excuse to do that to Randy again, since the other man hadn’t seemed to object to it). “Any excuse to keep me around?”

John growled quietly, keeping up the pace. Damn, but Randy never failed to feel so good around him. Rather than reply – and Randy seemed to have gathered how he’d been thinking – he drove himself deeper with every thrust, watching how Randy’s face changed and contorted with pleasure. Did he have any idea just how sexy he was? More than likely, but John was certain Randy had never seen himself like this. 

“Fuck John, harder!” Randy tried to get some leverage, the weight of his legs on John’s strong shoulders and riding John’s cock trying to force the other to speed up but John wasn’t having any of it. “Dammit John, you chased me out here to fuck me, so fuck me like you dreamed of!”

John gave a strangled moan, resisting the temptation to do just that. “I waited this long,” he returned, noting that Randy looked like he was about to lose his temper – Randy wasn’t used to not being the one in charge of these things, or not being listened to when he barked some demand. Well, he’d have to learn. With a slight smirk, John angled himself differently and gave a sudden thrust against Randy’s prostate, hearing the other give a smothered cry before going back to the maddeningly slow pace that he’d used previously.

Randy’s hand left the headboard, heading down his stomach toward his cock and John moved quickly, grabbing the hand before anything could come of it. “Nuh-uh, don’t even try that shit.”

Randy growled at him, arching slightly as John brushed his prostate again. “Fuck, fuck – please John, I need ta get off already!”

“Since you asked nicely.” John gave up teasing, suddenly driving himself directly into Randy’s prostate and giving a muffled cry of his own as Randy clenched around him. His already abused lip gave a twinge of pain as he tried to bite back any louder noise – it wasn’t like everyone was at some party anymore. 

Releasing Randy’s hand, John took hold of Randy’s hip again, other hand stroking up the man’s thigh while Randy gave in to temptation and wrapped a hand around himself, meeting John’s eyes as he stroked over himself. John felt a shock like a lightning bolt going through him and it wasn’t entirely to do with lust. “Rand, fuck, I need—“

“Then fuckin’ do it,” growled Randy, meeting every one of John’s movements, his erection obviously twitching beneath his hand. “That’s why you followed me, fuckin’ fill me now!”

John definitely wasn’t used to hearing anything like that during sex and he gave a gasp, trying to hold himself back – right up until Randy’s muscles squeezed around him like a vice, the man arching almost completely off the bed and coating himself with his release, free hand raising to his moth to try to stifle the cries he was giving. John had always suspected that when aroused properly, Randy would be loud and vulgar but to actually experience that was something else entirely, something incredible. Biting on his lip and drawing blood a second time, he thrust himself into Randy a final time, feeling his release shoot deep inside the other and gripping the others thighs tightly, meeting Randy’s eyes. He had the brief but rather shocking urge to lean into the other and murmur something soothing and loving, something to reaffirm their relationship. He pushed the thought away hurriedly. They didn’t have a relationship and the last thing either of them needed was him to forget that and make things awkward. 

Guiding Randy’s legs from his shoulders, he sprawled beside the other and allowed his arm to rest over the man while they recovered their breath. To his surprise, randy’s hand moved to stroke over his bicep, slow, casual movements that spoke of their ease together. It was probably a very good job that he had promised to go home, not follow Randy any further. This had been too easy to fall into and truth be told, there was nothing he wanted less than to go home and resume his life. He wanted to be where ever Randy was.  
But that kind of thinking had no future. Randy would be gone soon, over the border from the odd hint that the man had dropped. That or at the business end of a noose. In fact, that was probably in his future regardless of where he ended up. 

“Don’t suppose this place supplies a tub?” he asked, rather tiredly – he didn’t want to clean himself up and think about moving, but he supposed that if Randy wasn’t leaving that day then there was nothing to stop him coming back here – assuming his boys could be persuaded to spend another night away that was. The hope made him feel a bit guilty, he supposed he wasn’t doing a good job of watching over Ted, leaving him to Cody’s tender mercies, but when it came to Randy he was selfish as hell. 

“There’s one,” replied Randy and John could hear the amusement in his voice. “Only it’s down stairs. Ya have ta go get it.”

John considered the state of them both a moment, naked and covered in sweat and the dried and drying evidence of their night together. “Dammit.” 

“Yeah.” Randy laughed. “There’s water and a cloth. You’re gonna hafta slum it sheriff. Welcome to the world of the outlaw.” His chuckles tapered off. “Bet ya can’t wait ta get back ta civilisation.”

John smiled, but there wasn’t much humour in the action. “Trust me. I can wait.”

~:~

Shaking his head slightly Chris then amusedly pushed himself out of bed and pulled on some pants of his own for covering as he went downstairs. And, as promised, there was the tub before the fire, all ready with the water if the steam coming from the tin tub was any indication, and Evan was obviously in his kitchen. Shrugging a little bit to consider getting started Chris tested the water. It seemed Evan had placed some cold in there as well because the heat was most definitely enjoyable and not overpowering in any manner. Chris seated himself down in the tub, noting the soap resting on the lip of the tub, grabbing it as he began to clean himself. A few moments later a voice piped up, “How rude, startin’ without me an’ all, I mean, really Mr Mayor, such bad manners…”

Turning his head a little Chris grinned with a playful sheepishness, shrugging slightly, “I left my back for ya?” he tried coyly, watching as Evan set the two plates of sandwiches on the couch to keep them out of the way considering the table was out of action. Speaking of the table… “Did you clean that up?” Chris asked, surprised, “You needn’ d’that!” Evan shrugged casually acting as though it didn’t matter, but Chris could see the slight blush that the other had building on the fine bones of his cheeks. “Well I could hardly leave it, coulda? Yer ‘ousekeeper woulda had a fit a’the sight o’ it,” the outlaw moved towards the tub as he spoke, reaching expectantly for the soap which was dutifully handed over by Chris.

Beginning to get some lather between his hands with the bar Evan then began to knead the cleaning suds into his lover’s skin. As he had promised he washed Chris’ back and shoulders diligently, reluctantly handing the soap back so that Chris could finish washing himself off. “In future, maybe ya should look into gettin’ a double-tub…” Evan mumbled, pouting a little; he liked touching Chris and if the tub was big enough then he would have been doing just that. Inside his chest Chris’ heart gave a few hard thuds—did that mean that Evan planned on coming back? That sheriff had said the group was heading for the boarder, and it’d take several months at the very /least/ for their names to fade into history’s dull background… sadly Chris was forced to admit that the other was probably just making a general comment given that it was interrupting their private time as it stood.

“I’ll bear it in mind,” Chris commented absently as he washed the suds from his body and then stood, uncaring that the carpet was probably being ruined further as he stood before the fire, drip-drying. Evan shucked out of the pants he had been wearing and he daintily –not that Chris would ever use that word towards him aloud- settled himself into the tub to use the still warm, if somewhat cloudy water to begin washing himself the same way Chris had. Not wanting to keep the other waiting until he had dried fully Chris moved forward and accepted the soap, beginning to wash Evan’s smooth back, and then helping the other rinse off. Then wrapping up the soap Chris then drew Evan to stand with him before the fire. They made jokes about a different kind of cooked sausage and buns if they didn’t watch themselves, then pulling their pants back on. Evan (and Chris too) would have been happy to spend some more time shamelessly admiring the other’s nakedness as well as bearing his own, but it was getting on in the morning now and as had been demonstrated earlier there was a high degree of chance that someone would come seeking the mayor for some reason.

Plonking down onto the settee Evan then picked up his sandwich and bit into it hungrily; it was only through weeks, months, of travelling on the road that had truly gotten him to appreciate a meal, even when it was something as simple as the sandwich they ate then. There grew a silence between them as they ate but it wasn’t uncomfortable, the pair of them merely focusing on the necessity of food lest they launch themselves at one another, which was highly likely indeed given their current track record. Upon finishing Chris took their plates, heading into the kitchen and making them both a hot drink, wanting to make sure that his little outlaw had some sustenance in his stomach before he went off… he didn’t want his friends to think that he’d been mistreated, which he didn’t doubt they would.

The trip to tip the water out of the bath was amusing indeed because Chris could only imagine what his closest neighbours would have been thinking were they to look out of his window and see the young, strapping, half-naked Evan helping him… whilst he was equally half-naked and probably looking as happy as he was feeling inside, mushy and romantic as that sounded, pointless as the emotions might be given that Evan was a) an outlaw and b) a man and therefore predominantly out of his reach in many senses of the word. However, he was trying not to think about that thought because he didn’t want to start putting Evan in an awkward position and blurring the unspoken boundaries that were between them. Entering the house once the tub had been placed in the small cupboard it was stored in upon it being empty, Evan then led Chris back upstairs to the other’s bedroom.

Watching as the outlaw pulled on his shirt Chris couldn’t help but move forward and wrap his arms around the smaller man. Evan stilled a little, giving a small laugh of awkwardness, but he leant back into Chris’ arms before the other could consider letting go of him. “Somethin’ wrong, ol’ man?” he asked, voice quiet and teasingly affectionate, his hands resting atop Chris’. Though there was quite a difference in their heights Evan was surprised to note that their hands weren’t too different in size, though his were much, much rougher than the Mayor’s because of all his outdoor dealings and the amount of times he’d held a gun or his horse’s reins. “I could still put ya across m’knee, y’know,” Chris commented quietly, nipping Evan’s earlobe gently in retaliation for the comment, then adding on a less-flippant and probably less believable, “I’m fine.” Turning his head as much as possible Evan arched a brow a little; Chris was smiling but even he could tell that something was off about that grin, and his stomach gave a funny little twist at the thought of it. He didn’t want Chris to be unhappy, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be the cause of it.

“Sure sure,” he said lightly, nudging the blonde man and wondering whether Chris would open up a little more if he let the matter go. Chris then asked, “Are you going to stay for a bit?” he knew they only had maybe an hour together, two at most, before Evan really would have to clear out lest Maria find them –though Chris was just tempted to let that happen, since he /really/ didn’t want the other to go- and he wanted to see that he could spend as much of it as he could with the other. And, considering they had both bathed and were (almost) dressed, chances were the time would be spent innocently… though if Evan was up for an hour of kissing or something then Chris sure as heck wasn’t going to be protesting. He’d be more than happy just to settle with the other in his arms for a while, holding him and committing even more of him to memory if possible.

“I’d be proper insulted righ’ now if ya kinda told me t’ fuck off,” Evan commented, smirking cheekily at the still surprised look Chris gave whenever he swore, though it wasn’t exactly uncommon with him, tilting his head then and bringing his arms up around Chris’ neck. “D’ya want me t’ stay, Mr Mayor?” The blonde looked at Evan, as though wondering whether he truly needed to answer the question, but then he did, “O’ course I do. So hurry up and getcher fine ass dressed, then we can head back downstairs.” Releasing the smaller man Chris then moved to get himself ready and presentable for the day, their dressing taking very little time when they weren’t distracting one another. “I never woulda thought I’d ever hear ya tellin’ me that ya want me t’ put my clothes back /on/.” Chris smacked his backside lightly, firmly, as Evan passed him to head back downstairs once they were ready, “Y’are so damn cheeky, my little puppy-dog.”

~:~

They caressed and kissed for a little while longer, the sun rising steadily and firmly by that point, signalling that dawn was well and truly upon them. Reluctantly pulling back Cody sighed; Ted would probably assume that it was because of lack of breath or something, but Cody was really sighing because he knew that that meant he was out of time. He was serious about not rushing Ted, because he didn’t want any experience they had together to be tainted somehow with bad aspects, but he was also totally aware that he was so very, very short on extra time in terms of the nights they would be able to have together. “You Ok?” Ted’s innocent question made Cody feel momentarily guilty because the other did look rather concerned about him and he was internally sulking over what he saw as a missed opportunity, so he merely smiled instead softly and caressed Ted’s cheek, “I’m fine.” He eased his body reluctantly off of Ted’s to beside him.

Looking to his pocket-watch on the side, Ted noted that the Saloon’s food facilities would be opening soon, and that it would be polite for him to go and get something—Cody wouldn’t be recognised, after all, and the person at the front-desk who handled all inquiries and requests would probably would be beyond confused (and potentially suspicious) if he went down there since John was the one who was his technical assigned room-mate. “Are you hungry?” he asked Cody, swallowing hard and feeling his throat drying up impressively as he noted the way Cody’s face looked, partially shadowed and partially in light, the gap in the curtains casting a golden-glow over him with the strong early-morning sun. By contrast, unawares to the scrutiny of his companion Cody exhaled a breath, propping his chin on his hand as he considered.

“I could do with a little somethin’,” Cody admitted, though he wasn’t too thrilled at the thought of Ted paying for him and he didn’t have that much money on him—they tended to keep the cash together and decide expenditures as a whole… and it wasn’t as though he could have /actually/ foreseen that he would run into Ted, as opposed to just really, really wished it. And even when he had been fantasising about it he had always seen himself being separated from the other before day had returned. “I’ll go get it,” Ted nodded, “I think they said they start doin’ breakfast around now…” as Ted said this he leant over the bed edge (giving Cody as fantastic view of his arse) rooting in his pocket for his little moneybag. Cody’s eyes widened somewhat when he saw the money inside; it wasn’t a major amount, but it was still more than he saw most people carrying by honest means.

“My, my, someone’s doin’ good fer themselves aren’t they?” Ted looked up, unawares he had been so blatant with his cash, and his cheeks turned a deep red as he stuttered, “I, erm, well, that is, you see—“he realised that he was probably making himself seem very guilty for no reason indeed, but he couldn’t help it. “I’m careful with my money?” he hadn’t meant it to come out as a question, but he couldn’t very well take it back now. For a second a shadow flickered over Cody’s face, an imperceptible expression appearing in his eyes… but both were gone before Ted could really identify them, his smile and warm eyes back, “I’m impressed… I spend like a fiend when I get the chance.”

Laughing softly Ted shook his head, getting up and seeming to debate a moment before grabbing his things and pulling them on, trying to look as neat and put together as he had nearly every other time Cody had seen him, but still looking distinctly rumpled even so. “I’ll be right back,” Ted was blushing a little, probably aware that he looked less good-boy and more deliciously-post-ravaged-man, and Cody smirked widely as the door closed behind his lover. Stretching out Cody sighed and leant back against the pillows, just enjoying Ted’s residual warmth and scent, but then he figured he should do something nice for Ted since the other was getting breakfast… he eyed the bath-tub across the room but then wondered whether that’d give the right message. After some brief consideration he got up to make his lover a bath anyway. 

~:~

Randy, the shameless hussy that he was, had absolutely no problem just remaining lain, naked and absolutely /filthy/ with their ‘sin’, admiring John’s nakedness as the man carefully made his way towards the jug of water and the wash-cloth. “Y’sure I can use this?” he asked, not seeing another, and, well, doubting that even with it washed out again Randy’d want to use it after him. “Oh yeah,” Randy said lazily, laying on his front, ass still throbbing so perfectly pleasurably painfully, “We have spares.” Cody was so damn hygiene conscious considering he was supposed to be so rough-and-tumble and all. John looked sceptical for a moment but then nodded and began to clean himself off as best as possible with the cloth, after giving himself a refreshing wash for his face and all. He’d have to have a proper bath later on… when he was back in his and Ted’s shared room, away from Randy. He’d need to talk to the other about the situation later, and only hope that Ted wasn’t going to think of him as some, some sort of—he didn’t even know what.

“Ah, fucker!” John gasped at the sensation of cold water on his skin, Randy snickering from the bed and John flipping him off without even seeming to break his stride. “Now where did a nice boy like you learn a gesture like that?” the outlaw drawled and John shook his head a little, a dimpled grin appearing on his face that gave Randy that uncharacteristically warm feeling in his chest again, “I’d think the past night has shown that I’m not quite that much of a good boy.” Brow arching, smirk wicked, Randy cooed, “I’ll have to argue witcha there, John, ‘cause I thought you were a /very good boy/ last night.” It was nice that they still had some of that flirty, fast-passed banter between them even though they had had their time with one another (for that previous night at least) because the atmosphere between them had been tensing just a little and John didn’t want to bog-down their amazing night by having to start acting like some sort of… clingy woman. They owed one another nothing, after all, as he knew full-well.

Eventually deeming himself clean enough John looked around for his clothes; they were scattered rather impressively around the room considering that he didn’t wear especially much (shirt, vest, underpants, trousers and socks as opposed to some men who wore multiple jackets or undershirts) and he moved to collect his underwear first—they were hanging off of one of the little wall lamps. Good job they were electric and not flame otherwise he would have had to go around with nothing but a simple layer of material to save his dignity. A frown touched Randy’s lips as he watched John dressing; covering that body was a crime, he swore, and he was tempted to get John’s previously used cuffs and turn them against him, cuffing him to the bed so that he could keep him there even longer… somehow he doubted that either of his boys would protest much to such an occasion. Then again, this time they just might, a little.

As John was pulling his pants on Randy made a sound to catch his attention, “Are you going already?” he wasn’t happy about that, and even though he knew he shouldn’t be risking himself or John by being seen together, Randy knew that Bone Orchard would be the safest place he /could/ be seen with him—and that was what made him make his next offer: “Let me take ya out t’breakfast.” Unsurprisingly John looked shocked by that and even Randy had to admit he’d shocked himself with that one. Still, he had made the offer now and an outlaw of the baddest nature he might be, but he never went back on his words. Sometimes he swore that some criminals had more honourable ethics than even the ‘purest’ of characters that supposedly rode their horses on the good side of town, as the saying went. “Alright,” John said slowly, beginning to button his shirt up as Randy finally roused himself from the bed (and walking with equal awkwardness) made his way over to the basin of water John had vacated.

Washing himself he then donned his own underpants, trousers, shirt, waistcoat socks and boots. As one they located their respective hats and then placed them on, black to white, John’s light clothing to his dark, their general personalities carrying the same contrast—but not in terms of their sexual appetites and their inner-most desires. In that aspect it seemed that he and John Cena were perfectly in tune. “I saw a decent place t’eat further back on the edge of town,” Randy commented as they casually strode (well, as casually as two men who had been engaging in vigorous love-making all night, and mainly morning, long could do) towards the place that Randy seemed to have in mind. They didn’t talk much as they went each being lost to their private thoughts, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. If either of them had been anticipating some sort of awkward aftermath between them both they were pleasantly surprised. Things weren’t awkward, not even a little. In John’s case though there was still that underlying thought of exactly what he was going to do when Randy left, when the other left. He turned out to be so absent-minded that he almost walked past the bar that Randy had in mind, a slight blush touching his cheeks as he found himself being halted and directed by a firm tug to the arm, “Sorry.”

Chuckling wanly Randy leant into the other, “I do hope you’re thinking about me to think that hard,” giving the man a small nudge in turn, following behind him into the busy, but not overly so establishment. Once inside Randy moved to sit with John, pulling one of the menus from the rack towards him and flipping it open. He immediately settled on the ‘House Speciality’ breakfast and then John voiced the same opinion. “Wait ‘ere,” Randy said before walking to the front desk, seeing that there was a young girl serving. Whilst having John there he wasn’t overly keen about being flirty on some degree, but on the other he knew how much he could get away with when he turned the charm on so he went with what he knew. John, meanwhile, was watching the door; it was something he had grown so accustomed to doing in the sheriff’s office that it was second nature now, even when he was as he was then, not even on duty or needing to be concerned.

The doors suddenly swung open and a very tall, very-built man walked in. A hat was low on his eyes, and he was potentially more muscular than even Randy or himself… this man screamed predator and every fibre of John’s being rebelled, telling him to GET OUT OF THERE if he knew what was good for him. As if the stranger’s general manner and appearance weren’t unnerving enough, the way he stood in the doorway and then slowly looked around, seeming to be assessing each person, was most /definitely/ not right. Even before he had realised what he was doing John found himself getting up, considering whether he would be able to get Randy and get out of there without getting too much notice pinned on them. People had said before that he was too cautious, but it was listening to his gut that had saved him from sticky situations numerous times before and he wasn’t about to argue with his instincts now. The stranger suddenly stopped looking, gaze directed ahead—to where Randy was leaning casually against the counter, hat still low, the worker-girl giggling and blushing, looking up at Randy coyly through her lashes. John was too concerned to feel jealousy about it then.

/Bounty Hunter/-- the word flashed through John’s mind and he felt prickles of unease running up his spine, causing his chest to tighten with the sudden shocking knowledge of it all. No, it couldn’t be, please don’t let it be… John began to walk, as casually and quickly towards Randy. As he drew up besides the outlaw the girl Randy was flirting with immediately clocked on to him as well, Randy’s obviously disparaging comment to his apparent ‘rival’ dying when he saw John there. He had been about to make some sort of quip about the other missing him so desperately even though they’d been apart mere moments, but then he saw the look in John’s eyes. Turning a charming smile on the girl he excused them both –she tittering that their food would be ready directly- and then he moved aside with his lover, “What’s wrong wicha Cena?” before John could actively respond a shadow fell over both of them, John’s eyes widening just a fraction as he realised who was behind Randy.

“’Scuse me,” the stranger had a very pointed, low voice, tipping his head back and revealing small dark eyes and rather dark tanned skin—John would have sworn he was related to some sort of Indian tribe were it not for the fact that he was in town and the way he was dressed. Randy slowly turned, tilting his head when he found himself confronted with a man who seemed even an inch over himself; it wasn’t often that he was confronted by someone larger than him. “Can I help ya?” he asked in a drawl that was casual, but there was a hint of dismissiveness there that suggested that Randy wasn’t interested in spending too much time interacting with this person and that he had better get his business sorted as swiftly as possible. “Don’t suppose you’ve got some matches on ya, do ya?” the man indicated a cigar and John wrinkled his nose; those things were disgusting, and he didn’t go near them if he could help it. Randy though, as a purveyor of Tabaco himself, lit a match for the man. As the man leant over the use the flame John saw something that made his breath freeze inside his lungs:

An identification brand received by bounty-hunters.


	13. Chapter Twelve: No Fair Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of a showdown, a body isn't the only thing that needs clearing up in Bone Orchard...

“Much obliged.” The bounty hunter pushed back his hat almost imperceptibly in a gesture of thanks at Randy, using the hand that didn’t display his brand. He didn’t seem to realise that John was staring rather frozenly at his now-covered wrist; his eyes were searching Randy’s face beneath the shadow of his hat. John realised suddenly that out of the three men, Randy was probably the most recognisable – he hadn’t worn a bandana to cover his face since he had used it to save John’s life, at least not to John’s knowledge and hadn’t the people he’d spoken to since said the same? Not to mention the height of the man and those rather distinctive eyes. Even given how poor the drawn renditions of the outlaws were on their wanted posters, there was every chance that Randy could be identified going on those descriptions alone. 

And Randy didn’t seem to have even noticed. The man merely tucked his matches into his jacket and gave the man a casual look before turning his attention back to John. The stranger retreated, sitting at a table not too far away and barking a single word at the waitress when she asked what he’d like – it looked like ‘coffee’ to John. He snapped his gaze back to Randy, heart thudding. Shit, this might be the last time he was to lay eyes on his lover without him bleeding all over the street, if the hunter was after him. He’d been in bad spots before, but he’d always had the weight of right behind him. This time, if the hunter went after Randy then there was nothing that John could do to intervene, the man was within his rights to chase and claim the price on Randy’s head while Randy had been the one in the first place...

No. It didn’t matter what Randy had done and it didn’t matter if there was a whole slew of men coming for him. John wasn’t about to let anything happen to the man. 

“John.” Randy’s voice was mild but John’s head snapped back to the other as if he’d shouted it. “Stop starin’ at that guy, it looks bad on me.”

“Rand—“John’s voice was low and confidential. “He’s a bounty hunter. He’s got the brand.”

“That so?” Randy sounded mildly interested and not at all surprised. “I knew there was somethin’ about him. Good eyes.”

“I can’t believe you’re not more worried about this!”

“He ain’t about ta start trouble in here, shootin’ or tryin’ ta take me in.” Randy’s voice was low as well, his eyes fixed on John. “And if he’s after me, then he must know Cody and Ev are around someplace and I don’t think he’d risk a bullet in the back.” He paused. “Makes no sense that he’d come after us at all actually. Given that we ain’t never killed anyone in one of our little jobs and there’s three of us and one of him. Wouldn’t think it’d be worth the risk for a small payoff.” 

“Maybe the payoff ain’t as small as you think,” John shot back at him, hardly believing Randy’s casual attitude to the whole thing. 

Randy stared at John, a slow frown creasing his brow. “You said somethin’ like that before. What is it yer not tellin’ me?”

“Here ya go boys,” said the waitress, loud and sunny, putting tin plates of food in front of them, flirtatious smile still in place as if she didn’t sense the tension between them. “Y’all enjoy it!”

“You leave it, it looks like yer runnin’,” said Randy, attacking the food in front of him. “Those guys, they can sense if yer tryin’ ta hide, so even if they ain’t lookin’ for ya, they’ll go after ya on principle. You gonna eat that bacon?”

John looked at his plate, starving only moments ago and now with his appetite shrivelled. More to spite Randy than anything, he speared the bacon and shoved it into his mouth. That seemed to remind his body of how hungry he was, how long it had been since he’d eaten – and it was probably terrible of him to want to eat when a man who was probably there to kill his lover was sitting across the room. Still, he’d had a pretty active night. He still could barely believe how blasé Randy was about the man’s presence – but then he caught a glimpse of something almost hidden in the other man’s eyes. Perhaps the attitude was a front, perhaps Randy really was concerned after all. But there were certain types of men who would rather die than show signs of weakness.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do,” said John authoritatively. “I’m gonna find a way ta introduce myself, tell him I’m a sheriff, maybe he’ll even think I’m the sheriff ‘round here. He might back off if he thinks there’s gonna be trouble with the law.”

Randy gave a fondly exasperated look, swallowing a mouthful. “Did you never have bounty hunters passin’ through your town?”

John deflated a little. They certainly had. The rule of thumb was to give the guys a warning not to shoot it up in the saloon, to leave it to the streets and that should any innocent citizens be injured, it was on their heads and they could damn well answer to him. There was never a cease and desist order on them, even if the man they sought was right there in town they were to just let him get on with it. 

“I was thinkin’,” said Randy and John had to refrain from asking if he’d hurt himself, a sign of how tense he really was. “I’m gonna eat up and head for the crapper. Might even take the paper. Give me a couple of minutes and head out front. He ain’t after you and if he’s expectin’ me back, he’ll be waitin’ on me. By the time you go, I’ll be long gone. You go back to your room, roust Cody outta bed and tell him what’s goin’ on. I’ll go get Evvy.”

“Where is Evan?”

Randy gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, I know where ta find him. You worry about Cody – and make sure that Ted don’t decide to do somethin’ stupid.”

John nodded slowly, continuing to eat and occasionally giving the stranger quick looks. He was drinking a coffee, not eating and apparently not paying them any attention. John wasn’t fooled and he didn’t think Randy’s plan had much of a chance of working. But what else was there to do? He didn’t have any better ideas and they had to try something or the moment Randy walked out of the door, there was a good chance that the man would put a hole through his lover before he got the chance to run. 

Randy finished his food, pushing the plate back and smirking. “If this works, remember you said you were done chasing me,” he said, his eyes almost warm. “It’s been fun sheriff. Wish we’d had longer.” Standing up, he winked at the waitress and John noticed that the bounty hunter had tensed up. “Hey darlin’,” said Randy with his most charming smile, managing a wink so salacious that the woman was giggling within seconds. “You got a paper there?” 

“It’s last weeks,” she said, producing a well-read rag from beneath the counter. Randy glanced at the headline – something about it being the driest season in ten years, apparently belied since by their recent storm – and tried not to look bored witless. “Thanks,” he said to her, tucking it under his arm and glancing back at John. “Be right back.” 

John nodded, trying to play it cool and look unconcerned, not like it was the last look he was going to get at Randy if his plan came off right – probably if it didn’t as well. Randy headed out of the discrete door at the back of the building and John turned his attention back to finishing his meal, which was fine but he wasn’t surprised he’d lost his taste for this one. The bounty hunter met his eyes, drank his coffee in one quick action and stood up, hurrying to the front of the cafe. 

Shit, it didn’t work! John was on his feet before he knew it, all but chasing the hunter from the room – but the man seemed to have realised what would happen and was out of the building scant seconds before John, slamming the door hard behind him and costing John precious seconds. John’s usually sunny face darkened noticeably; there was no one that was going to take Randy down. Not if there was anything he could do about it. 

Slamming the door open and ignoring the waitresses startled shout, he raced into the street. The bounty hunter had already made it to the middle of the road, the people around stopping to look, sensing that something was about to happen. And several feet away, Randy had apparently darted from the back and tried to get away unseen, unsuccessfully. 

“Hey, Viper!”

Randy’s head turned, the rest of him following suit when he realised he was caught, hand flipping back his jacket and heading for his guns even as he moved. 

The bounty hunters hand was already at his waist and as John watched, he unholstered his weapon and started to raise it. 

John didn’t think, he just acted. He went for his guns, still in their usual place on his hips. He was a pretty damn fast draw – if he hadn’t been, he’d be dead – but the second or two the hunter had on him and the poor angle he was shooting from was going to hinder him. Still, he had to try. He pulled both guns clear, distantly hearing shouts from the watchers and not caring even a little about it, his fingers going to the trigger.

A shot rang out and suddenly, everything went very quiet. It didn’t last – less than two seconds later a woman screamed and sound seemed to rush back to the scene quickly. John’s heart thudded in his chest. He hadn’t even had a chance to pull the trigger. Some backup he turned out to be...

Both Randy and the bounty hunter stood frozen in place, guns raised. John held his breath, almost certain that he could see a glint of Randy’s blue eyes beneath his hat, the set look on his unshaven face – and then his attention went to the hunter, who sagged like a marionette with its strings cut and sagged to the ground, dropping his guns on the way. 

~:~

Cody had been humming under his breath as he prepared the tub, unable to do much in the way of heating it up if he wanted it ready by the time Ted returned but hell, he was used to a cold wash. Ted he wasn’t so sure about, but it wasn’t going to be icy exactly... and he wondered about that money. He’d known that Ted Smith wasn’t just another working stiff but that wasn’t just a lot of money for a well-off gentleman, that was a lot of money for anyone. And Ted hadn’t even seemed to realise. Clearly he didn’t think it was overmuch and that made Cody wonder; just how rich was Ted anyway? 

The train of thought made him uneasy. It didn’t matter how much money Ted had, not to him at least – but it certainly made the difference when it came to how far apart their worlds were. He had lived a comfortable life for a long time and he knew how hard it could be sometimes, knowing that there were warm beds instead of cold ground, food they didn’t have to skin and cook themselves, rest instead of seemingly endless expanses of plain and day after day on the back of a horse... Ted could never adjust to that kind of life if he was truly rich enough to think that kind of money was nothing. 

And was he honestly thinking of how it would be to take Ted with them? That was his most ridiculous thought yet. He would never subject Ted to the kind of hard life that the three of them lived. Sure he enjoyed it well enough most of the time, but he was used to its less pleasant aspects and without a choice, which Ted obviously had and he wasn’t likely to think it was the right one if he did ride out with Cody once the initial appeal had worn off...

A gunshot outside snapped him to attention and he rushed to the window, looking out. The saloon was on the main street and he could see two figures in the classic gunfire pose, only just in his sight. One was obviously Randy, he could tell that just by what the man was wearing. The other was an unknown, falling to the floor. And Cody could also see Sheriff Cena standing by, his own guns drawn – planning an arrest perhaps? 

“Fuck!” The bath forgotten, Cody snatched his pants from the floor and yanked them on, pulling on a shirt, ensuring his hat was firmly on his head and his boots were on his feet before grabbing his holster and running from the room, fastening the belt on as he rushed and hoping that Ted had been held up getting their food – Ted had already proven that he was sheltered and would probably just follow the noise without considering that it could be dangerous. And he didn’t want Ted getting involved if he and Randy were about to get into trouble – Evan, at the mayors house, probably hadn’t heard anything. Then again, since someone had been shot it was unlikely that Chris would be alerted to it pretty soon, him and the sheriff. 

Cody cursed again as he headed from the saloon. Couldn’t he even have had one more night, just one, with Ted? They had barely spent any time at all together, it wasn’t enough and it wasn’t fair!

It took him less than two minutes to get dressed, barely another to get to the scene and already things were going more or less as he would have expected. The man was lying in the middle of the street, looking dead enough to Cody and the crowd he seemed to have gathered served to prove the opinion; there was a small but notable group of scavengers going through his pockets and snatching what was valuable, dropping everything else. Cody wrinkled his nose, he had always hated that. It happened at the end of every gunfight he’d seen and it didn’t seem any more right now than it had the first time, as a nine year old clinging to his fathers hand while the man explained that the dead had no need of cash or trinkets. 

Cena at least had put away his guns and Cody felt a rush of relief that he wasn’t going to perform some kind of arrest on Randy. The man looked over at him and gave a cordial nod, Cody almost laughing when he realised that he really hadn’t had too much contact with John. It had been Randy then who’d stemmed John’s wound and Randy that the sheriff had been chasing after. 

“Randy,” he said urgently, pushing Cena from his mind. “What the fuck?”

“Bounty hunter,” said Randy grimly. “Came after me – knows me as the Viper. Knew me. I took care of it.”

“Then we gotta get ta Chris’, get Ev and get out!”

“Think we might be a little late for that,” said Randy, nodding in the direction behind Cody. Cody turned to see a man striding down the street toward them, a frown on his face. The authoritative way he walked would have told him who they were dealing with even if the badge on his chest had not; sheriff.

John glanced over at the sheriff, feeling almost relieved. He was certain that this could be passed off as self-defence, since everyone had seen the other guy go for his gun first. Randy might be locked up but Ted had enough money on him to either make bail or throw a few bribes their way and with that done, they could get the men out of town. Perhaps all the way to the border before he and Ted turned around and went home again. 

And Cody had said going to Chris’... John didn’t know anyone in town and it wasn’t an uncommon name, but Randy had mentioned the mayor a few times and often by his first name. It was a stretch, but John wouldn’t be at all surprised if that was one of the reasons they had headed for the safety of Bone Orchard. 

They’d attracted quite an audience, he noticed. A couple of people were standing on the steps of the saloon and watching – the imposing figure of the barkeeper he’d met the day before with the mayor (and possibly Evan’s secret lover) watching the action with an impassive face, but it was Ted who attracted most of his attention, looking worried and ready to approach. John gave him a stern look and shook his head slightly, warning him to stay put. Ted didn’t need to be involved in this scene. There were a couple of other people he thought he recognised – he was almost sure that the man staring at them was John Morrison, husband of the lady they had talked to the day before and the noticeable figure of the singer from the band the night before. He was beginning to feel very conspicuous. 

The sheriff approached, giving a pissed look at the man on the ground before glancing at Randy and pausing, then turning his attention to Cody. His look at John was rather confused, but John was sure that the sheriff knew the two outlaws – and that made some sense, if what Randy had told him earlier was the truth. Anyone who had been made the sheriff after the shooting of the last one two years ago would have to be someone who lived in the town and was trusted by the residents.

“You guys again,” the sheriff said, sounding both amused and disgusted at the same time. 

Randy looked a little blank but Cody came up with the name the older man was clearly struggling to recall. “Michaels. You made sheriff then?”

The man looked rather proud of himself, John noticed. He wore a cream coloured hat similar to his own, long blonde hair escaping from the back, casual shirt and a waistcoat with the badge pinned to it. Clearly the look was important to the man but John could get that, it was important to him too if only so people would know who he was right away. 

“Jericho knew I was the best man for the job,” said the sheriff, his attention going to John again. “Who’re you?”

“Sheriff Cena,” said John, extending his hand a little warily. “John.”

The blondes eyebrows went up. “Names Shawn Michaels,” he said, taking John’s hand and shaking it. “And around this town, I’m sheriff. What went on around here?”

John had no idea how far he could stretch the truth – there was a good chance that if Shawn didn’t see the brand then the undertaker who took the body would draw his attention to it – but fortunately Randy butted in before he had to. “Guy called me, took a shot. He was fast. I was faster.” In spite of the situation, there was a smile of satisfaction on his face. 

Shawn didn’t look back at Randy but John kept his face impassive, nodding. “That’s how it happened.”

“Right.” Shawn lowered his voice. “I can make that fly Randy, but only because we owe you one around here. Any more shit like this and I’m takin’ you in and throwin’ away the key, we clear on that boy?”

There was a flash of anger on Randy’s face at the ‘boy’ comment, but he nodded. “Clear.”

“Right.” Shawn raised his voice, looking at the assembled watchers. “What’re you expectin’, him ta get up and do tricks? Show’s over! Anyone call on the undertaker yet?”

John blinked a couple of times, shocked by how easy it had been, but Randy didn’t notice; he was glancing at the debris that had been taken from the bounty hunters pockets and left as being worthless. “John, you might wanna go and see if Ted’s okay, he’s watchin’ and lookin’ ready ta blow a gasket.” Ted didn’t seem that way at all but Randy wanted his lover out of the way for a few minutes and sure enough, that did the trick and John headed over to make sure Ted wasn’t too alarmed. 

Cody instinctively took a step toward Ted and Randy grabbed his arm to stop him. “We need ta get a few things sorted out before we go involvin’ anyone else,” he murmured so that Shawn didn’t overhear them, although currently he was haranguing someone else so they were safe for the moment. 

Cody glanced at him and Randy paused; he didn’t remember ever seeing Cody look so damned sad. “We’re gonna hafta move on, ain’t we?”

Randy glanced over at where John was, talking to Ted in a low voice and not looking at them. “I dunno,” he said, more casually than he felt. “It’s dealt with now. He’s dead.”

“What? Have you been takin’ suicide lessons from Ev? What if there’s more? And now folks’ve seen that there’s a hunter after us, they might decide they want that reward themselves!”

“Shawn seemed anxious ta keep the news of him bein’ a hunter to himself,” returned Randy. “He’s spreadin’ it around that it’s some random guy tryin’ ta cause trouble, ya heard him your own self. And I ain’t in a hurry ta leave, honestly. Ev’s not even here. And you—“

“I wouldn’t mind stayin’,” Cody said, a little too quickly. “Only I ain’t convinced it’s safe.”

“You might have somethin’ else ta worry about.”

Cody paused. “What are ya talkin’ about?”

Randy took a few steps to the bounty hunter, crouching a moment and rescuing some papers from beside him. Straightening up, he glanced through them and when Cody moved to his arm, showed them to the other man. He could almost feel Cody’s puzzlement. “So? It’s a couple of bad drawings of us. They’re not even wanted posters.”

“Yeah, so why’s he got them?” Randy shuffled through the pictures (which really weren’t that far off how they looked, but were how they looked when they were prepped for a robbery and so didn’t give all that much detail). “More to the point. How’s he gotten this?”

Cody reached out slowly and took the last picture that Randy had – and this really was a picture, not a drawing. Photographs weren’t exactly a rarity anymore but they certainly weren’t commonplace and those who had them taken didn’t tend to lose track of them since they couldn’t be replaced and new ones were something of an extravagance. And this one was clearly of good quality, the sepia tones sharp and the contrast better than most Cody had seen. It showed Ted standing and smiling at the camera, hands hooked in his belt and looking far more casual than the usual formal pose that was demanded by the financial constraints of it being the only picture they could afford. Even through his confusion and shock, he wasn’t immune to what the picture did to him, how damned handsome Ted looked in it. And that he intended to keep hold of that picture regardless of what happened from this moment – it might be all he was left with. 

“This is Ted,” he said redundantly. 

“Yeah.” Randy and Cody both glanced over to the steps of the saloon, where John and Ted were still talking quietly, although the barkeeper had left. “And I’m wonderin’ why anyone would think that Ted Smith was anywhere near where we are and why the hell they’d care. I don’t know what it is between you and this guy Codes...” The look he gave his friend was almost sympathetic. “But somethin’s way off.”

~:~

“No…” Cody mumbled, feeling his throat closing up slightly as he looked at the photo. Why would a bounty hunter have an image of his Ted? And… “Wait a second…” he felt a weird sense of unease and foreboding flooding him as he considered what he had found out about Ted earlier that morning. “I need to talk to you,” he started, swallowing hard, hating the horrible feeling of nausea that had welled in his stomach; it was worse than that which he felt when he was witnessing the people scavenging from the dead body on the ground, “-but I can’t do it here, and Evan should hear it too so I don’ have t’repeat meself. And, well, he’s the brainy one of the group,” he added as an afterthought. In other circumstances Randy would have disputed that he had just as much brains as well as looks but right then he just didn’t have the heart for it. Cody seemed really cut up about this, and he /did/ genuinely feel bad for the other over it.

Catching John’s eye as they were making their way to their hotel, knowing that was where Evan would end up when he was finally able to disentangle himself from the Mayor… something that would be happening sooner rather than later even though it seemed the hysteria surrounding the incident had died down, Randy then nodded slightly. Even though their time together that day had been cut shorter than he would have liked sooner than he wanted, he was serious when he had told the sheriff that he hadn’t finished with him yet. He didn’t want to move on just then, as he told Cody, both because he didn’t think that bounty hunter was anything to worry about and because he knew that chances were he may not see John again once he left Bone Orchard. Sentimentality was not something that he often indulged in (not unless his boys were involved and even then none of them were completely open about their brotherly fondness of one another) but when it came to John Cena he found it happening more and more, and he wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about it.

John’s expression fell a little more as he noticed the small gesture from Randy, but it was the look on Cody’s face that made the frown more prominent; what had brought that expression to the young man’s face? It hadn’t been there when the bounty hunter had been taken down, so it couldn’t have been the man’s death… there was a small movement beside him and John turned his attention back to Ted. The other was somewhat pale, though not as bad as he had expected when Randy had indicated he should go and tend to him, and his eyes were fixated rather firmly upon Cody. The crestfallen expression upon the younger man’s face had John feeling what he recognised vaguely as the brotherly protectiveness he had towards his own siblings, and he reached a hand up and squeezed Ted’s shoulder in a silent gesture of support.

A myriad of expressions crossed Ted’s face in response; he looked upset, confused, surprised, grateful and even a little frightened all in one moment and he didn’t even seem aware of it himself. “We should head back inside,” John said, gently but firmly, and although Ted wanted to refuse (he /had/ to know /why/ Cody had had that expression on his face, wanted to do anything he could to soothe it away) he knew that causing a scene and chasing after a man who had just left with a man who had shot another man –his head was close to spinning as he tried to follow his own logic- would create a big scene and they didn’t need any more attention being drawn to them than that which had already been garnered by John having been caught guns blazing even though he hadn’t fired a shot. As they made their way back into the saloon John was surprised to find he and Ted being approached by the barkeep, two glasses in his hands. “Drink up boys,” he said firmly, Ted dithering slightly when he realised he had been given alcohol, something he didn’t often partake in. right then, however, it would probably help with his shock.

Wade had seen the way the aftermath had happened in the unfortunate shooting and figured the two men needed a little something to get themselves back on even footing, as it were. Accepting the glasses back when they had been drained Wade passed them off to one of the serving girls he had in the place and then said, “Nasty business out there.” John nodded his head, though he was wary about opening himself up to too much conversation with this man, even though he’d seemed nothing more than a hard-working, upstanding character when he’d stopped and had a conversation with him when they had first checked in. “Yes,” Ted responded, though he was obviously not focused on the conversation that was happening in that moment of time, “Very nasty business.” He had never seen a dead body before, let alone seeing someone actually /die/. He really had been a sheltered boy.

“Folks like that lower the tone of the whole area,” Wade clucked his tongue slightly, “Mayor Jericho’ll be well disappointed wi’ such conduct,” it was rare that they got more ruffian types of a dangerous degree, people in this area preferring to be much more low-key and to keep to themselves even though they had a good community spirit with everyone helping each other out and all that. “He’s not into this sort of business then?” John asked, knowing Wade’d understand what he meant. Wade nodded his dark head, “He hates it; as far as he’s concerned people are peaceful or they can pack off.” He didn’t want anything ruining the settle atmosphere that they had finally established in their town. Even though John couldn’t deny that it was definitely a man of good character who appeared to be running the town it seemed as though it was too idyllic and simple to be true. However, that was a thought he kept to himself; it made no sense to go about ruffling people’s feathers and all.

“I think I’m gonna head upstairs for a while,” Ted suddenly interrupted, giving a very polite slight-bow to Wade, “Thank you for the drink, Mr Barrett,” he remembered hearing the name from one of the wait-girls as she had been passing by and he made sure to use it. The blonde then turned and made his way up to their room, his brunette companion staring after him uneasily. Heck, he /really/ wasn’t doing much good was he to keep an eye on Ted and protect him from any bad influences… first he had left him alone to Cody’s lecherous mercies (though Ted probably didn’t mind /that/ part) and now he had allowed the other to see something that took a long time to get over… he’d seen his fair share of dead men before, and it didn’t get easier.

“Is he alrigh’?” Wade asked concernedly and John sighed and nodded, pulling his hat off and scrubbing a hand through his short hair, “I sure do hope so,” he murmured, pausing slightly when he heard the saloon doors creak open, seeing that the young man who had been singing the night before had just entered the bar area. He was chewing his lip nervously, looking around, probably searching for Wade. The man in question had frozen somewhat beside him and John would have found it amusing under different circumstances; he hardly knew Wade Barrett and yet he could see that he was pretty damn enamoured by the pretty coco-skinned man in the doorway. “I think you’ve got a visitor, Mister Barrett,” John tipped his hat to the man after replacing it and then began making his way after his companion. Later, Wade would be embarrassed about how shot his concentration had become because of Justin’s arrival.

Reaching his and Ted’s room John then knocked to alert the other to his presence before entering the room. There was a fumbling motion from the bed and John arched a brow slightly before he realised what Ted had in his hands: the Wanted poster that he had of ‘Dashing’ Cody. Sheepish all of a sudden John closed the door behind him and cleared his throat softly, “Um, Ted, I’m sorry fer gettin’ a bit side-tracked from yeh last nigh’ a’ t’party.” If they hadn’t been separated from one another the night before then chances were that Randy wouldn’t have been able to get him alone, and then they would never have done… all the things that they did. Chances were, had they not been separated from one another the way they had then it wouldn’t have happened at all, and then the gang of outlaws would have left and that would have been that. “Don’t worry about it, really…” he said, looking up at John. “John…” he indicated the man needed to pull his collar up.

Meanwhile, in their hotel room across the town, Randy was sitting on the bed that he had last had John pounding his brains out on, the freshly made sheets smelling infuriatingly fresh; the chamber-maids must have been in when they were out, eradicating the scent of his and John’s love-making. It would have been enough to have his temper rising had he not been so concerned. The obviously cheap bounty hunter (a real professional wouldn’t have allowed himself to attack so openly, not when a live bounty was also greater, but it seemed John didn’t know that) wasn’t a concern to him anymore, but Cody and his behaviour and interactions were of concern to him. However, considering the way the ravenette was pacing back and forth, he had no intention of beginning to talk until Evan arrived. And, speak of the devil—“The hell’s goin’ on, guys?” Evan was mildly breathless, having hastened over when he and Chris had been forced to separate.

He had returned to the room as soon as he had heard what had happened (he had been eavesdropping when Chris had gone to answer the rather urgent knocking that had suddenly sounded at the door when they had been engaged in the midst of some rather pleasant kissing) and concern was rife in him, Randy could tell it because of his eyes. “We’re fine, thanks fer askin’,” he drawled rather glibly and received a clip around the back of the ear for his trouble. Anyone else and he would have probably broken their fingers, but because it was Evan he let it go. Looking between his two friends Evan planted his hands on his hips in what Randy always labelled as his classic ‘mother’ pose, “Someone mind tellin’ me exactly what’s been goin’ on? I leave ya alone fer a few ‘ours an’ it all goes t’pot right away…”

Since Randy had been the one the situation had happened to he gave Evan a swift run down, the younger man gaping somewhat when he had said about the bounty hunter, looking relieved when Randy admitted that he’d killed the man first so all was well with them. However, that then left Evan with pause as he took stock of his friend’s manners: Randy seemed calm and complacent as ever, whereas Cody was the one who was as edgy as a cat on a hot tin roof. “Codes here has somethin’ t’tell us,” Randy said, looking at Cody expectantly. The youngest of their group’s mouth worked, looking almost pained as he said, “It’s about my—about Ted Smith.” 

~:~

“Nice t’see ya Mark, not interrupting are we?” Chris sighed and he rubbed his hands through his dirty-blonde hair, currently stood just inside the Undertaker’s offices, Mark Calloway’s brother Glen (more commonly known as Kane for reasons he still didn’t understand and had never thought to ask) busy moving over the body which had been the cause of the commotion earlier. Just behind him stood Sheriff Michaels, the man grimacing a little as Glen methodically processed the dead man for burial. From what he vaguely knew about mortuary practices no one put as much effort into the process as the Calloway brothers did, and they had quite a comfortable packet gained from their business.

Mark –an eerie man of over six-foot and with very dark eyes and long dark hair- turned towards him, “Mayor Jericho,” that strangely elongated rumble of a voice never failed to give Chris goosebumps but he hoped that no one had noticed that particular factor, “Not at all. Glen and I are almost finished.” It wasn’t as though they had some next of kin to notify, or personal objects to sort—Shawn had told them everything had been swooped-upon before the man had even been cold on the ground. “Any idea of who he is?” Mark didn’t invite them further into their processing rooms and neither Chris nor Shawn made a motion to do so. Mark shook his dark head, but ‘Kane’ answered, “No,” he sounded almost gleeful. Chris didn’t know which brother was more terrifying: the elder or the younger.

Making arrangements for the man to be buried in the cemetery (at the town’s expenses considering there was no one to take care of the arrangements) Chris then left the Undertakers behind and headed outside with his Sheriff. “So what happened then?” he asked, wanting to get the facts straight one more time. He’d admit when he had first been fetched over the incident everyone had been too excitable to make sense, and Chris’ mind had been off somewhere else with his young lover, their morning together sadly cut even shorter than he had been expecting. Ignoring the way Shawn tutted and adjusted the hat atop his head, sandy ponytail swaying in the light breeze that had picked up, Chris waited patiently as Shawn gave him a run-down, “The guy chased Orton, went ta fire at’im and he got in there firs’. That guy… wassisname? Cena?” when Chris nodded his head in acknowledgement Shawn continued, “He’d been with Orton a’the time, and he’d seen Orton take ‘im down.” Chris had a feeling it all seemed too clear cut and easy.

“Any reason why this guy was chasin’ Orton?” even though Chris had known Shawn a long time, had a lot of respect for the man because he was good at what he did, he had noticed an uncomfortable comradeship seeming to develop between Shawn and Hunter; he had heard that they had invited Shawn and his wife to dinner of several occasions, and that both Shawn and his wife had been seen sporting new and expensive gifts of coats, or jewellery. Though the Mayor sincerely doubted Shawn would sabotage himself as a Sheriff under bribery he couldn’t help be concerned. Hunter obviously had something going on in that devious mind of his, that incident the night before concerning the James’ farm only cementing it to him. “No idea,” Shawn said airily, obviously not as concerned by this whole this as Chris was; the body was in the hands of Mark and Glen and no longer his concern, and before too long it’d be old news in town. “Hostess from the bar they were in said Cena and Orton’d had breakfast together, ‘n then Orton’d gone to the outhouse, next thing she knew—/boom/.”

Shawn continued to natter somewhat ahead of him, but Chris was lost in his own thoughts, brow furrowed somewhat; Orton and Cena had been together? That guy had said he was a Sheriff on the tails of the outlaws, and suddenly he was having breakfast with one? Strange, very strange indeed. The blonde excused himself from Shawn not too long later, just wanting to get away from the man’s talk and sort this out. Shawn had given him what Chris was sure was the elliptical version of events and something told him he would have to go right to the source to see what had happened. Heading to Wade’s saloon, since it was the most popular in town, he asked the bartender whether he had a group of three men staying there. “Nope, not here, Chris,” Wade said apologetically, “I just got that Cena fella and Mr Smith.”

Brow furrowing Chris asked, “Any idea whereabouts where they might be staying?” Wade leant his elbows on the bar, thinking of the businesses in the area that rivalled his own, “Try the Burchill place down across the other end of town, I’ve heard there’s a few new people coming in there.” Exhaling a breath Chris thanked the other and shook his hand, then turning and heading out of the saloon. Though it might seem like he was being concerned over nothing (and pushing aside any problems Evan might gain by association with Randy after this) he needed to have something to say if kin of this man /did/ turn up somewhere down the line. Believe or not that kind of thing had happened before.

Walking as briskly but casually towards where Wade had indicated, Chris then let himself in. The long haired brunette behind the counter immediately began to adjust her blouse to reveal just a touch more cleavage than nice girls would be caught dead showing, especially in public, shaking her hair back from her face and offering him a big smile. Katie-Lea had made her interests in him known almost as soon as she moved to town (before or after she attempted to proposition Wade he wasn’t sure) and each time he had rebuffed her as firmly and politely as he could; he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. Paul might not like men going near his sister but he knew for a fact that several had been on his bad side because they had turned the woman down. Clearing his throat softly Chris then headed towards Katie-Lea’s desk, “Excuse me Miss Burchill—“alright, call him paranoid all you want but he needed to try and make sure that there was some sort of distance between them more so than the physical, “I was just wonderin’ if ya had some fellas stayin’ here…” he gave a general description of the three men and although Katie-Lea looked as though she wouldn’t answer him at first she then admitted that they were there.

“They in bother are they?” she asked in slight concern, “S’a shame; they seemed like nice lads.” She then consulted her ledger to see which room the three men had before she then attempted to engage him in further (much less business-like) conversation which was difficult for him to try and get out of if he was honest. However, he eventually managed, and then he made his way upstairs to the floor the three were on. The closer he got to their door the greater his anticipation became—both to find out what exactly had gone on by the square, and also because chances were he was going to get to see Evan a bit more. Pausing outside the appropriate door, fist raised, Chris had a sudden thought that almost had him heading back downstairs again: what if Randy had taken his boys and gone after what had happened?

No… they wouldn’t have done that. He was well aware that his thoughts were weak even in his own mind but he had to at least try. Rapping on the door smartly with his knuckles he heard a low voice (that he recalled vaguely as Randy’s) sounding through the door before it then opened. Coming face-to-face with the pseudo-brother and fellow outlaw of his lover, Chris momentarily felt like a suitor must before their intended’s father. Forcing the thought from his mind Chris inclined his head, “Randy, long time no see. M’alright t’come in?” it was a question, and yet not at once.

The horribly searching gaze that Randy had on his face made Chris want to squirm underneath the younger man’s scrutiny, but he kept his stance casual and un-hostile. “Sure,” Randy said after glancing over his shoulder, seeming to have a silent conversation with the men in his room, before then stepping aside for Chris to enter the room. Inside it was rather sporadically messy, though had obviously been cleaned at some point during the day. From the atmosphere of the room it seemed as though he had interrupted something, but none of them men seemed to indicate that they wanted him to leave. “Afternoon,” he greeted, Cody nodding politely to him and Evan giving him a subtle wink before then also nodding in response. He pretended that he couldn’t see Randy smirking like an absolute fiend behind Chris’ back… he’d been forced to fess-up post Cody’s confession earlier.

“I take it yer’re here about what happened earlier, aye, Mayor?” Randy said, sauntering casually to the bed and sitting on it alongside his boys, indicating that Chris could take the solitary chair instead. Pulling it forward somewhat the blonde then sighed and leant back, legs crossing at the ankles, arm resting on his lap as he propped his chin on the other hand. Though he hadn’t known the three men too well when he had requisitioned their services those years back, they had done him a great service and he /had/ gotten to know them a bit better (and no, that wasn’t some innuendo for what he and Evan had been up to) before they had left, and he sensed there was still that easy air between them all. “That guy that got shot is bein’ buried in the cemetery, at the town’s expense, unless you can give us a name for next of kin?” he had known right from the off that it was a long shot, considering no one else in the area seemed to know him, but it was worth checking on, wasn’t it? “Sorry Chris, but I don’ know who that guy was anymore’n ya obviously do yerself,” Randy shrugged.

Cody leant against Evan somewhat, arms draping lazily around the other; the obvious ease the three men had was apparent and even though he knew he had no reason nor right to be jealous he couldn’t help but feel it anyway, tearing his eyes from Evan when Randy’s throat suddenly cleared, the blonde blushing somewhat and sitting straighter in the chair though still continuing to look dignified; just because he had been caught out didn’t mean that he was going to completely cave and embarrass himself. “Ya wanna fill me in on wha’ happened, Randy? I’ve already got a coupla versions, but short of seeking out Mr Cena and even possibly Mr Smith—“the subtle, but noticeable, reactions that both men had to those names interested Chris greatly, though he would have to elaborate on that point some time later on when he had sorted out the business he was there for, “I’m kinda gonna be stuck if someone comes lookin’ for that guy and I ain’t got nothin’ of substance to tell ‘em.” For a moment the eldest of the outlaw trio, little more than a boy in comparison to himself in some aspects, seemed to close-up on him, and Chris internally cursed. However, with a small prompt from Evan, Randy thawed.

“The guy is-- /was,/” Randy amended after a moment, seeming to have wrong-footed himself for mere seconds before he continued as though there had been no pause at all, “-a bounty hunter. John’d warned me tha’ there was one afteh us—“he didn’t see the rather significant look traded between his two friends behind his back at the fact he had used Cena’s name so familiarly, but Chris saw it. “—and when this guy walked in t’ th’bar he merely came and asked me fer a light. John recognised ‘im, and I told ‘im t’calm down and have our food, then I went to the outhouse, tellin’ John I’d meet him outside. However, this guy seemed to have been expectin’ somethin’ like that because he was suddenly up and chasin’ me. It was durin’ the chase that he ended up gettin’ shot, but I’m afraid I can’t give yeh much remorse on that score, Mr Mayor. If it comes down to him or me? It’ll always be him.”

Sighing, Chris reclined back in the chair a little and nodded, taking a few moments of silent consideration. At least they could make what had been the given story fly, as Shawn had said, but he was glad that he knew the actual facts in case something around and the hindsight would come in useful. “So Cena thinks that that was the bounty hunter that’s been after you all?” If that was true then Chris couldn’t deny feeling a little bit glad that he removed from the equation too. Death was not something he took lightly, by any stretch of the imagination, but if this man was going to have been a threat to Evan… Chris took a second and then asked the other men, “So, Shawn said this’s squared the debts we owe ya, right?” well, for the main anyway considering that the three men would always be welcome in his town, though hopefully in quieter, less dangerous circumstances in future. His words received a nod.

“Ya come t’kick us out, Mayor?” Cody asked suddenly, the previously ashen expression that Chris had seen on the man’s face when he had entered the room fading into a half-smirk that was often the expression that many a person must have been taken in by, and was depicted in that wanted poster that Cena had showed him when the man had first approached him when he and Smith had gotten into town. Giving the other an amused and wan look, Chris then shook his head, “O’course not,” he murmured, “I just needed t’come and make sure that I knew what had gone down; death’s don’t look good on a Mayor’s campaign considerations,” he was joking, of course, because he had never been one of those overzealous candidates. Besides, whatever some might say the general populace loved Chris as their Mayor in Bone Orchard.

Randy chuckled, inclining his head in amusement, “Understood, Chris.” He noted that once again Evan’s eyes had moved to Chris and vice-versa, and he decided to use the chance to move away from the topic of the bounty hunter, because that had connotative links to both John and Ted, and after the things Cody had told them that he had discovered about Ted that morning when they had been together, he knew that he and Cody both would just appreciate a few moments without their previous night’s lovers on the brain. “I hear there was some damage done t’yehre place last night, Chris…” he swore that a blush was building on the Canadian’s cheeks—something that was mirrored on Evan’s own, “I do hope yeh didn’ do yerself, or our Evvy, an injury with all tha’ rompin’ about.”

~:~

“I think we’ll survive,” retorted Chris, hoping he wasn’t blushing as badly as he felt he was and not daring to look at Evan. Damn, had Evan mentioned the whole ‘screwing him through a table’ thing? Well... he supposed that wasn’t anything to be ashamed of really. And he had sort-of assumed that Randy and Cody already knew that he and Evan had gotten involved back in the day. Still, he wasn’t about to let Randy get away with putting him on the spot the way he had. “How ‘bout you Rand? You enjoy breakfast with the sheriff this mornin’? Before ya got shot at of course.”

Randy smirked, but the way he rubbed at the back of his neck gave away that he had been caught out. “Mighty good, the food and the company.” He gave Chris a rather solemn look. “John didn’t have nothin’ ta do with the guy earlier.” 

Chris nodded, noticing that Cena’s travelling companion hadn’t been mentioned, although he didn’t know if that was deliberate or not. “I figured as much,” he said honestly. “Him and Mr Smith arriving separate to y’all—“he noticed how Cody winced a little and stored it in the back of his mind. He knew that he could question Evan until he was blue in the face and the young man would never tell him anything, not because he didn’t trust Chris but because he was naturally close-mouthed and it was none of Chris’ business what Cody’s personal life was. 

“A lot of people were disappointed that you lit out the first time and there’s not many that’d cause you trouble now,” he said. “But shootin’ tends to make folk antsy. I’m hopin’ there’s gonna be no repeat of that.”

“Can’t promise ya nothin’ Mayor,” said Randy. “But I don’t think there’s a lot o’ hunters out after us and not so many that can trace us here. And we ain’t plannin’ on stayin’ all that long.”

Chris shouldn’t have felt so stung by that comment, but he couldn’t help it. He’d known all along that what he had with Evan would be fleeting but he didn’t need that solidifying. But he didn’t show how disappointed he was. “Good enough for me,” he said abruptly. “You three can stay as long as you like, ain’t no one askin’ questions about that guy – don’t even know his name, don’t see how we can. Should I be worried about this John Cena, or Ted Smith?”

That wince from Cody again that Chris pretended not to see. Randy narrowed his eyes. “Cena ain’t got nothin’ ta do with this, he’s a sheriff in some other one-horse town. Smith? Rich kid seein’ the world. Don’t see as you’d hafta worry ‘bout him either.”

“Right.” Chris’ eyes went to Evan a moment, noticing that next to him Cody didn’t seem anywhere near as cool and contained as he usually was. “Word’s gotten out about you guys bein’ back y’know.”

“Oh hell.” Randy chuckled. “Thought we’d kept a low profile. Guess that’s shot.”

“Yeah, well, Melina’s been talkin’ ‘bout havin’ you all over for a proper meal,” Chris told him with a smirk. “And not ta worry ya Cody, but Katie-Lea mentioned that Miss Layla’s been askin’ after ya...”

“Oh god.” Cody covered his eyes briefly. “That’s not what I needed to hear.”

Chris shrugged. From what he’d heard, Cody and Randy had both been pretty drunk on their last night in Bone Orchard two years before and while Randy had chosen to bed down with Mickie and no lingering feelings there, Cody had been seduced by one of the ladies working from the Burchill place and now he was back, she was taking an interest. Miss Layla was easy on the eye and accommodating but apparently Cody wasn’t about to revisit that memory. 

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” Chris stood, repositioning his hat. “Meanwhile, I should be takin’ care o’ business. Good ta see all you guys again, really. And now the unpleasantness is outta the way, hope you stick around a little. Y’all know you ain’t short a bed or a meal ‘round these parts.” He nodded at the men and took his leave, walking out of the door and pausing a moment, hoping his instincts were right.

There was a brief moment of silence in the room, then Evan bounced off the bed. “Fellas...”

“Go,” said Randy, amused, and Evan raced to the door, all but throwing himself outside. 

Chris had been waiting outside the door, but he hadn’t expected Evan to all but leap from the room, slamming the door behind him and throwing himself into Chris’ arms. Chris laughed, he couldn’t help it, wrapping his arms around Evan. “It’s been five seconds, ya miss me or somethin’?” he asked teasingly. 

“Mr Mayor...” Evan reached up to kiss Chris’ lips. “I’m gonna be at your house tonight and you’d better be waitin’ for me, just as soon as the sun goes down.”

“You better believe it.” Chris pushed Evan against the wall, taking a moment to take in his lovers face before kissing him, right there in the hallway where any passerby could see. His hands went into Evan’s hair, his tongue stroking against Evan’s, stealing the breath from the younger man. 

Then abruptly he pulled away. “Ev, I’d love to keep this up but I gotta – I gotta go deal with some shit.” His hand stroked almost tenderly at the side of Evan’s face. “You better be there tonight. You just better.”

“You couldn’t keep me away.” Evan pressed another kiss to Chris’ lips before moving back to the door he’d just left. “And trust me – this isn’t over.” He grinned. “I’m gonna be back wantin’ more. And more and more. Just as long as I’m here in town.”

“As long as.” Chris wasn’t sure that his smile was convincing but he put it on anyway, then with a last touch to Evan, headed back out of the corridor. 

Evan gave a giddy little grin as he watched Chris walk away (and paying undue attention to the mayors arse, not that he would admit that) and then walked back into the room. Randy’s glance was amused, but he got that this was not the time to talk about Chris. Cody had put up a good front back there, but he was clearly upset. It was odd; Evan had seen Cody getting used to the harshness of life, he had seen him stressed and sickened and worried. But he had never seen him so damned unhappy as he was right then.   
Randy was clearly at something at a loss himself, because he sounded hesitant, something Randy never was. “Cody...”

“I have to ask him.”

“Cody—“Randy’s voice was soft, understanding, but concerned. “Is that a good idea? The only thing we know for sure is that Ted lied to us.” And John seemed to know something, but he was putting that aside for now. “We don’t know that he’ll—“

“Randy!” Cody sounded ready for an argument but Randy and Evan were both used to Cody’s ways and didn’t comment. “My family were wealthy enough. And I never, ever would have thought that amount of money was just for spending. That damned bounty hunter had a picture of Ted in his pocket! I need to know how he explains this. Or—“He took a deep breath. “Oh, I don’t know. There’s somethin’ goin’ on here and I don’t know what it is. And there’s Ted—“ 

He took a deep breath, knowing what he said next would not be welcome. “It’s like you and John. Or Evvy and Mayor Jericho. You can’t explain it but it ain’t goin’ nowhere. It makes you stupid.”

Both Randy and Evan looked ready to protest and Cody overrode them. “Since when do we stay when there’s a bounty hunter? Since when do we go back where people know us? It’s the same thing and I wanna know...” He trailed off slightly and stared at his hands. “I wanna know if I’m bein’ dumb or if I’m takin’ advantage of the good stuff. I need to know. I’m real sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Evan spoke before Randy got the chance to. “Go. Find out.”

Cody shot a look to Randy, found no objection and headed out of the room. Once he was gone, Randy sighed. “You think that was a good idea?”

“Think it’ll get us some answers,” responded Evan quickly. “I’ve got no clue about that boy.”

“Yeah.” Randy pressed his lips together, thinking that John should have told him that much at least. “Ev – we might have to leave here pretty fast. You gonna be alright with that?”

Evan’s teeth showed as he bit on his lower lip, letting it slide between his teeth while he thought. “Not alright,” he said honestly. “But it’s how things are. I know it and Chris knows it too. We take what we can. Do you and John know that?”

“John gets it,” replied Randy, at the same time not sure that John would be fine accepting it. “I’m hopin’ for a few more days before we cross the border.”  
Evan licked his lips. “There’s no other way?”

“We’re wanted men Ev.” Randy sounded almost defeated, something Evan had never heard from him before. “We have to move. We’re riskin’ it all just to stay here. We might be protected here, but that only goes so far.”

“Yeah.” Evan stared at the wall, allowing a dream of staying in Bone Orchard and sharing the Mayor’s bed every night drift away. “I already knew that.”


	14. Chapter Thirteen: A Little Cowboy Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Randy and Evan discuss what happened with Hunter regarding the James' farm that morning and make their plans for the evening. Cody and Ted have a confrontation about the photo and Ted's real identity before Cody shows Ted the meaning of a 'tumble in the hay'...

Cody strode across the main street, which seemed to have gotten back to normal. That seemed the oddest part of all, that a man could be killed in the middle of the road and then once his body was removed people could go back to normal – then again, what were they supposed to do? Dwell on it? No one even knew who he was.

Meanwhile, John was trying to coax some things from Ted, who didn’t seem too willing to share. “Listen, Ted—“ he said eventually. “If it’s all too much—“

“God Cena, you don’t get it!” Ted stared at him through angry eyes that John had honestly never expected to see from Ted. “Cody is – he’s special. And you can tell me all you like that I ain’t and that’s fine. But I’m supposed to go back now. I’m supposed to go home and go back to normal life and marry some sweet little girl and all the time, y’know, I’m gonna be wishing Cody was there...” He punched the bed, hard. “John, do me a favour. Find somewhere else ta be for a while.”

John hesitated a moment, but he knew he could give Ted an hour or so to be angry before he went back and told the man the facts of life once more. “I’ll be back,” he said, not sure where he’d go but knowing how hard it had to be for Ted. “Just don’t do any damage we hafta pay for, alright?”

“Like it matters,” mumbled Ted, voice muffled by the pillow. “It’s not as if money’s an issue.”

John raised his eyebrows, he would never have taken Ted for the fatalistic type but it seemed that seeing Cody in his less salubrious dealings had shaken him up. Well, he’d be okay in a while, it wasn’t as if Ted could honestly have thought anything would have come from chasing Cody to Bone Orchard – then again, Ted was used to things working out for the best for him. It probably hurt more when there was something he couldn’t control.

Opening the door with no real plan in mind of where he was going, he was rather surprised to see Cody heading in their direction. The outlaw paused a moment, looking a little wary as if he was expecting John to tell him to back off or something, and John did consider it for a moment. But Ted was a grown man as he kept reminding himself, perfectly capable of telling Cody to get the hell out if need be. Not only that, they’d been separated pretty quickly that morning and there was a good chance that they weren’t going to see much more of each other; John knew that if it was him with Randy, he’d want every second he could get with the other man. He held the door to their room open for Cody, quirking his lips a little at the suspicious look the younger man gave him, then headed off. Maybe a look around the town would clear his head.

Ted didn’t raise his head as he heard footsteps still in the room although the door had closed. “Sorry John, I know it’s your room too but I just need a few minutes alone. Make sure you cover up that mark on your neck.”

“I’m not John.” Cody tried to sound amused but his voice just came out quiet. Ted lifted his head off the pillow in a hurry and Cody took in the wide eyes and mussed hair. Dammit, Ted was gorgeous.

“Guess you saw that business outside,” he said, heading to the bed and sitting on the edge. “I’m real sorry about that. Occupational hazard of the life we lead.”

Ted sat up, eyes fixed on Cody. “He would have killed you,” he said softly. “If he’d caught up with you first.”

“But he didn’t. And it’s usually better for those guys to take us in alive. Bounty’s higher that way.” He took a deep breath, hoping that he wasn’t going to regret this. Might it not just be better to not find out and remember Ted as one of his best memories? But he was always the curious one and there was no way he could keep what Randy had found on the hunter quiet. He had to know the truth. “Ted – that guy was carrying this around with him.”

He took the photograph out from where he had carefully folded it, watching Ted’s face closely. The man looked utterly confused for a moment, something that heartened Cody a little – he had been so afraid that the man had been carrying Ted’s picture because Ted had something to do with hiring him. But then the confusion gave way to some bleak understanding. No, that didn’t do justice to the way Ted seemed to change. He looked fucking devastated.

“He was carrying this?”

Cody nodded, not taking his eyes from Ted. “Where’s it from?”

“From home. My house. The guy took a whole bunch of them of my brothers and me—“ Ted swallowed, meeting Cody’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. That guy came after you because of me. It’s my fault.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?”

Ted ran a hand through his hair distractedly. “I told my family I was gonna ride out with John, go looking for you. They knew the general direction we were headed in. I guess they thought that I was gonna get into trouble, that you might kill me this time if I tried something stupid again. My dad hired that guy, I know it. He gave him the picture so he’d recognise me, probably the wanted posters he had made up so that he’d recognise you. That might be why he didn’t try to bring Randy in alive – he probably gets paid whatever happens. My dad thinks he’s keeping me safe by getting to you before I do.”

Cody frowned. “But that’d be a helluva lot of money for no guarantees Teddy. I know you’re from money, but that much?”

Ted chewed on his lip for a moment then sighed. “I haven’t been truthful with you...” He cut himself off with a bitter laugh. “I outright lied. When we first met, but I had good reason then. I should have straightened it out later on though. It just never seemed like the right time and I didn’t know how you’d take it...”

“Ted.” Cody put a finger to Ted’s lips, silencing him. “Just tell me.”

Ted smiled a little, but Cody could tell that he was still nervous. “My last name isn’t really Smith. My real name is Theodore DiBiase, Junior.”

Cody digested this, for a moment not seeing why it was such a big deal – and then he remembered what they’d learned while casing the town in readiness to rob the bank and his eyes widened. “As in, the guy that owns the silver mine, that DiBiase?”

“Well, that would be my father,” said Ted rather dryly. “But yes, that DiBiase.”

Cody sat back a little, stunned. He had known that Ted was well-off of course, but the sheer amount of money they were talking about – well, it was almost beyond comprehension. “I took one of the richest men in that whole county hostage?”

“That’s why I lied.” Ted was suddenly desperate to explain, to make Cody understand. “I thought if you knew who I really was, you wouldn’t let me go! I thought you might keep me with you and try to get money out of my dad. I didn’t really have much reason to trust any of you!”

“I get that Ted.” Cody rubbed his temples a moment. “Oh my god. I don’t believe this. Is he gonna send anyone else after you? Save you from the big bad outlaws?”

“I don’t think so.” Ted looked down, fingers playing with the sheets. “He’s got no reason to think that guy failed and it’s gonna be a week or so before he starts wondering why he’s not been back to collect on the rest of his money. And by then...” He shrugged. By then he would probably be back home anyway and Cody would be nothing but a distant memory. The thought of that depressed him. That he might have screwed up whatever was between them by keeping his name a secret – that was heartbreaking.

“Cody?” Ted’s voice was almost timid. “How angry are you about all this?”

Cody looked at Ted, but the blonde wasn’t looking back at him. “I’m not,” he said slowly. “I know why you didn’t trust us and it makes sense. Wise move. It’s just takin’ some gettin’ used to. Fuck, this is so... we’re gonna swing for this. This ain’t like takin’ some poor workin’ nobody captive y’know.”

“You won’t swing for it.” Ted raised his head to meet Cody’s eyes. “I didn’t know my dad would do this, I swear to you. But I won’t let you get hurt over it either. There’s only you, me and John know who I am in this town. There’s no reason for anyone to do anything else.”

Cody nodded. “Jeez Ted. You still rode out after us, even though you coulda just forgotten it. Why?”

“I wanted to see you again.” Ted managed a smile. “I couldn’t just forget you. It was almost a compulsion.”

Cody shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. “You’re amazin’, ya know that? Even if we hafta light outta town tonight, I ain’t gonna be forgetting you. You’re one of a kind.”

Ted blushed a little but his smile became more confident when he realised Cody really wasn’t lying. “Y’know what else I learned from all this? Seeing that man lying in the middle of the street and knowing he’d come to shoot you or take you in... I guess I learned that there’s not always time to waste. I, uh...” His blush grew darker as he tried to find a way to say what he wanted without sounding like the blushing virgin that he was. “I want us to have sex Cody. Here, now. Right now.”

Cody looked so startled that Ted might have laugh, if he wasn’t terrified he’d said something wrong, or that Cody had changed the way he felt after Ted’s confession. “Ain’t John comin’ back?”

“Not for awhile.”

“You really want this Teddy?” Cody reached out and ran a thumb over Ted’s cheek, holding his stare. He wanted this, more than anything, but he also wanted it to be something that Ted genuinely wanted as well. “You ain’t just sayin’ ya do because you’re guilty fer not speakin’ up about your name earlier?”

In response, Ted leaned forward and brushed his lips over Cody’s, the outlaw deepening the kiss seconds later. He’d gone from not even thinking about sex to achingly hard in a matter of seconds, Ted tasting just as sweet as he always did. And Ted’s hands were at his shoulders, one tracing a line over his throat and to his top button, unfastening it slowly. Ted, it seemed, was a hundred per cent serious and Cody had to refrain from diving on Ted and starting to tear his clothes off – but no way was he about to scare the other off like that. This was Ted’s first experience and there was nothing Cody wanted more than to make it the best one that he would ever have.

~:~

After a few moments of contemplative silence Randy said, “So… you gonna be abandoning Cody and I fer Mr Mayor again t’night?”

Evan would have been embarrassed, but Randy was grinning at him so he knew that the other wasn’t really going to be mad about it when he admitted that that was indeed what he was planning to do, “D’yeh mind? I mean, Codes has already abandoned us feh Mr Smith—or whatever his name is—and well, I kinda figured that yeh’d be seein’ the good Sheriff tonight sometime…” though it was apparent Evan had gained a rougher manner of speaking over the years he still held that distinguishable eloquence that denoted he wasn’t completely without a brain in his head or some sort of legacy under his belt in terms of class.

“Well, I was thinkin’ on it,” Randy couldn’t deny that, “But I reckon someone’s gonna start noticin’ if he keeps turnin’ up here and yeh two keep buggerin’ off…” bugger being the operative word.

“Well, you could always go over t’his place this time around…” Evan suggested absently. If they were going to be moving on soon, and because he was feeling rather charitable in his good humour with reference to Chris, he wanted his two friends to garner as much happiness as they could, much like he himself was.

“Mebbe… or mebbe I’ll show the Sheriff just how t’get down an’ dirty in the wilderness.” That was only a partial joke of course, because although sleeping with John outside in the open, his usual territory, was appealing to him, he couldn’t deny that given the choice between it or a bed he’d much rather have the bed.

Evan chuckled softly and then nudged the other’s thigh with his foot, “Well, since it looks as though Code’ isn’ comin’ back any time soon, whatcha say we go an’ get somethin’ t’eat?” they should probably all try and get together in their little group for their evening meal, and Evan suddenly thought that in its own way it was rather sad that they couldn’t have their current (if temporary) lovers with them to eat. It’d be much too awkward, much too difficult to explain should they need to.

“Sure thing,” Randy nodded, “I’m feelin’ kinda hungry after the excitement this mornin’…” and he hadn’t had much time to let that breakfast settle so he felt as though he needn’t have bothered with any at all for the good it did him. The pair got up from the bed once more and headed out of the room, out past Katie-Lea (who was staring dreamily at the doorway out of the saloon until she noticed them and then she straightened up and sobered up hastily) and then down the road to look for somewhere to eat. As they were walking out through the streets though a sudden flash of white had Randy’s attention, seeing John exiting the saloon he must have been staying in, and then walking further down the road. To Randy’s immediate chagrin he heard someone shouting John’s name… and when he realised it was Michaels he had to try not to growl; the hell did he want with John? They’d gotten the earlier business out of the way and the man was usually too interested in swanning around to be overly sociable… unless the person was important.

“Randy,” Evan chided quietly, eyes also on the two sheriffs talking, “Cool it, will ya?” He knew that they could do without making a scene, though under other circumstances he would have teased the other mercilessly for being so jealous. His own unease was roused though when another blonde man, very well dressed and rather built, approached the two men. Shawn seemed to make the introduction, John looking between the two somewhat warily before he extended a hand out to the other and shook it, obviously nodding as the man said something.

“Who’s the guy with Michaels?” Randy muttered, obviously not referring to John, and Evan clucked his tongue in a manner that Randy had come to recognise as uneasy… and didn’t that just inspire further confidence in him?

“He came and interrupted me and Chris this mornin’,” Evan reported, “I snuck down ‘n’ ‘eard some of the conversation. Apparently this guy wanted t’buy out the James farm—“

It took Randy a few moments to place the name, “Mickie James?”

“Aye, the very same,” Evan nodded his head, brow furrowing. They were keeping casually to their side of the road, Hunter and Shawn still conversing with John. Well, more accurately they were talking and John seemed to be somewhat stuck between them. “Anyhoo, this guy was giving it a real bash, tellin’ Chris that a woman had no right t’own property, an’ that he an’ his missus wanted t’buy her out. Chris pretty much told him that he weren’ gonna let that happen, and that he’d best remember in future that that was his land Hunter was talking abou’.”

Randy had been listening with half an ear, eyes still focused on the small group. “An’ lemme guess,” Randy muttered then with a slight twisted smile, “He didn’ tek too kindly t’any o’ that, did he?” Evan answered in the affirmative.

“Hm…” after a few minutes it seemed Hunter and Shawn were finished with John… and Randy didn’t like the definite way Shawn kept looking back at John as he walked away with Hunter. Aw, hell no—if Shawn knew what was good for him the old man better back off. Evan meanwhile was filing away the fact that Shawn and Hunter seemed to be getting pretty pally with one another for future reference… that was if he didn’t get too distracted that evening to pass the news on. John seemed to stand bemusedly in the street for a moment, and then he sighed before heading back to the saloon he was obviously staying in. Randy absently wondered why he was outside the place on his own… and then reflected that Cody and Ted must be inside.

“Randy, leave the man alone for a while,” Evan took the other’s hand and pulled slightly to direct him down another street, “C’mon; Chris said there’s a pretty great place t’eat further down this way.” He knew that if he let him Randy would just get another type of meal in mind to chase after.

Randy sighed softly and pouted playfully as Evan, the other rolling his eyes and pushing the man. “Good god, didn’ ya bang his brains out enough last night?”

Randy arched a brow and slung an arm around Evan’s neck, playfully tussling with him, “I coulda asked y’the same thing about Mayor Jericho,” he shot back.

Evan merely adjusted his hat before shaking his head at the other as much as possible and shrugging as much as possible, “I didn’. Trust me, if we hadn’ve had t’rush this mornin’, ‘cause his house-keeper was comin’ over even after y’had t’create a scene, then I’d still be there.” Well, he wasn’t hardly going to lie about it, was he? Besides, the other would be shocked to hear something even remotely away from that thought leaving his mouth.

Entering the bar that Chris had mentioned when they had been talking that morning as they tidied up somewhat, Evan noted that again this place seemed different inside, sort of a cross between where they were staying and where Ted and John were staying. The ravenette moved to the counter, seeing a blonde woman standing there. She sent him a pretty smile as he approached and Evan returned it politely, “Good afternoon, Miss, would ya happen to be doin’ lunch now by any chance?”

The blonde nodded, handing him a menu, “Here ya go, hun’,” she said, then cocked her head and looked across to Randy, slouched casually in his chair, waiting for Evan. “I don’t believe I’ve seen ya here before,” she then added, beginning to get them both their soft drinks—they made a rule to try not to drink too much alcohol during the day, because that was when they were most in peril from hunters.

“We’re just passin’ through,” Evan said, accepting the glass bottles he was handed, tucking the menu underneath his arm, “I don’ recall seein’ ya here last time we were.”

The woman nodded her head, “Quite possible, ‘cause my family only moved here about six months ago,” she smiled, “My name’s Kelly. Kelly Blank.”

What an unusual last name, Evan thought to himself, “M’name’s Evan,” he offered in return and she didn’t seem fussed about the fact that he didn’t offer a second name.

Before anything more could be said a sudden brashy female voice with a definitely British lilt suddenly sounded, “Kelly, can you tell me where the—“a sudden squeal rent the silence and Evan almost found himself tackled to the floor, “You!” Evan stumbled, righting himself quickly.

Oh, fuck! Evan stared down at Layla, their drinks having been near enough spilled were it not for the fact that the bottle had saved most of it from spilling, wishing that he had known she was going to be there because then he would never have been there. Randy was probably pissing himself in the background but Evan wasn’t exactly in the position to look. Kelly had probably got the wrong idea about the pair of them, until Layla next opened her mouth that was: “Where’s Cody? Where is he? Are you hiding him?” Evan had to fight the urge both to snort and roll his eyes; considering that Cody was bigger than him that would be a trick and half, but he couldn’t very well be rude to a lady… though he had to admit Layla was questionable.

“Layla, nice t’see ya again,” he mumbled, managing to extract himself from her embrace, giving Kelly a nod as she sent him back an equally embarrassed look as he turned and headed to the table where Randy sat. He could see the other smirking away, but when he realised Layla was following the smirk dropped. Ha, not so funny now, is it Randy?

Evan placed their drinks down and handed the other the menu, both men all but hiding behind them in an attempt to pretend that the little dark haired woman wasn’t hovering around them. “Where is he then?” she demanded again shrilly, and Randy was tempted to say where they believed Cody was –with a blonde male- but didn’t.

~:~

“I want this,” Ted said softly, minutely embarrassed that he was voicing his selfish desires aloud, but being serious when he considered just how short life was in general, not just their time together. “I want you Cody. Please…” If after this he was forced back to a life of mind-numbing normalcy, with the dutiful wife and kids, then he wanted one true, genuine experience born from love.

“Alrigh’ Teddy,” Cody murmured softly, feeling his shirt falling away with each button that Ted’s surprisingly stable fingers undid, “Alrigh’.” He didn’t mind which way they did this, because it was more than he was planning to receive from Ted at all, let alone so soon. To think… he was about to make love with Ted DiBiase. They might have been new to the area when they had kidnapped him without really intending to go far on it, but they had heard people talking about the rich family. Heck, no wonder they had a bounty hunter after them on that score. Oh well, they had taken care of that issue now: all that he wanted to focus on was Ted. He didn’t care if God himself tried to stop him—nothing was preventing him from being with Ted.

Cody’s shirt fluttered to the floor and Ted shyly, but more determinedly than he had been when he’d first touched the other intimately, ran his palms over the expanse of Cody’s abdomen and then up over his ribs and pecs, feeling a small thrill as Cody’s breath caught as Ted’s softer hands caught his nipples. The outlaw’s eyes were fixated on him and though the lust in them was mildly overwhelming and surprising, much like every other time he had seen it, he couldn’t help but feel empowered by the reaction as well. Ted’s hands seemed to set his skin on fire and Cody felt goosebumps breaking out powerfully on his tanned skin, shivers running through him that had nothing to do for cold. Ted’s hands moved over his collar and then curled around the back of his neck, drawing Cody into another kiss which the ravenette was eager to respond to, all the while fighting not to let his passions run away with him, to move too fast and break the atmosphere between them.

Slowly, he drew his own hands up and worked on Ted’s white shirt, thinking that the colour was rather appropriate for the moment; Ted was a blushing virgin, though nowhere near as coy and twee as he’d seen in some women (Layla being one of them, he was grim to recall, though her manner had been a strong façade he soon found out) and although Cody wasn’t relishing the potential of hurting Ted if he was going to take that virginity, he also couldn’t deny he would be very hard-pressed to make himself refuse such an honour. And, no submissive bitch was he, but he knew that he was damn well blessed to be so much as considered as the one Ted wanted to do this with. Though he sincerely doubted there’d be other men in Ted’s future (just a little wifey) Cody wanted to make a permanent impression on the other. He wanted to be the best experience that Ted had ever had, wanted to forever ingrain himself in the other’s mind, never to be forgotten.

Their chests slid together as Ted’s shirt came loose, the blonde reluctantly releasing his hands from their grip in Cody’s hair to shake the item off, guiding Cody onto the bed with him after the outlaw had kicked his boots off. His own were removed rather impatiently and without grace, but Cody was too busy paying glorious attention to his neck to notice Ted’s lack of finesse. “I still can’t geddover how beautiful y’are, Teddy,” Cody murmured into his ear.

Ted shivered, both from the words and the warm sensation of breath of his sensitive earlobe. “Cody…” He shifted their positioning so that Cody was underneath him, their lips meeting once more as he fumbled slightly to get Cody’s belt off. He was somewhat embarrassed when Cody needed to help him, but in the end it didn’t matter.

Getting his lover naked, as well as himself, was the important thing and it hardly mattered who had gotten them to that point so long as they got there. Trousers and belts joined the pile of clothing already on the floor and twin moans were heard as naked muscle pressed against naked muscle so perfectly. Ted would have been concerned that he was being too insistent, too grabby, had it not been for the way that Cody’s hands were traversing all of his body in turn, keeping his close and arousing him further still.

“How didja wanna do this, Ted?” Cody asked breathily, a hand cupping the back of Ted’s neck as the other caressed his shoulder and upper-arm, Ted leaning somewhat between his legs, their bodies brushing with each ragged breath one or the other took. “I don’ mind, whichever you’d prefer is alrigh’ wi’ me—“

Lips pressed against his own, forestalling the rest of his thought and Cody happily allowed Ted access to his mouth, the steadily confident tongue delving and exploring, possessing, before Cody’s own came up to duel it and return the favour. “I want…” Ted swallowed hard, heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to do both styles of love-making with Cody, but if they didn’t have the time he knew which one he wanted the most, that he needed to experience before they were torn apart from one another. “I want to be inside of you, Cody. If—if you’ll let me,” he stumbled slightly.

It took all the control Cody had not to cum in that instant alone, the words Ted had just spoken turning around and around in his mind like a horse stuck on a track, each time sounding more amazing than the last. “Yes—God yes, Teddy, ya don’ know how much I want that.” Of course, he wanted to be inside Ted too, but he knew from a few experiences that most men found it easier to adjust to the dominant role as opposed to the submissive. Not that he had given many fellas that privilege in the past, but for Ted he would. The subsequent smile that he received from Ted for his words would have decided the matter for him even if he hadn’t considered the prospect to start with.

Expression turning slightly less arduous and a little uneasy Ted suddenly said, “Cody, I don’t know how—I mean, for us to—“considering how, um, tight Cody was going to be (and not to sound big-headed but he wasn’t exactly small in endowment) he was concerned about hurting the other, and something told him that he didn’t just… rush into it.

A gentle kiss was brushed across one of his blazing cheeks, Cody mercifully not laughing at his admittance though Ted felt a strange embarrassment regardless of already knowing that Cody knew he was a virgin when it came to any sort of sexual matters bar what they had done together. “It’s Ok, Teddy, I’ll teach ya,” the ravenette murmured, momentarily cursing that he didn’t have anything on him to make the process easier, and he sincerely doubted John or Ted was carrying anything like that. “Usually yeh’d use some sort of lubrication substance—“ From the way Ted blushed a little redder than before Cody knew that the other at least had some inkling of what he was talking about, “—but I don’ have any, an’ I’m bettin’ you don’.”

Ted shook his head, but then paused, biting his lip momentarily, “No, I don’t,” he acquiesced, “But…” he had seen a small tin in John’s bag that the other seemed pretty determined to keep track of, though he hadn’t realised that Ted had ever noticed him with it before.

Reluctantly extracting himself from Cody’s warm, naked body (and trust him when he said it was with reluctance) Ted moved to John’s bag. Normally he wouldn’t dream of invading his friend’s privacy as such, but in this instance something told him John wouldn’t mind too much. Finding the small circular tin he took it back to Cody, handing it over after opening it—breaking some sort of seal as well, proving that the stuff was previously unused. “Sheriff musta been pretty distracted t’leave that behind,” Cody mused.

Getting back onto the bed with Cody, Ted felt his throat closing up with anticipation, finding it hard to breathe, as Cody spread his legs for him and slightly exposed his entrance to him. A bead of perspiration trickled down his spine and Ted swallowed hard; in a way he couldn’t believe this was real, absently wondering whether he’d actually fallen asleep somewhere and was just dreaming this. Taking one of Ted’s hands Cody drew the other closer, rather red in the cheeks in his own right despite how confident he seemed to his soon-to-be-lover, “We’ll go slow, Ok Teddy?” he asked softly and Ted nodded. In truth he was struggling between looking Cody in the face and looking down at his exposed body. It seemed so small… was he really going to fit? He was pulled from his thoughts quite suddenly when a cold, slippery liquid suddenly met his fingers, making him gasp and jump slightly. His eyes widened as he saw Cody had coated three of them in the substance.

They could have used saliva, but that wasn’t a great substitute for first timers (and though Cody wasn’t a first-timer per se, it had been a long time since his last) and with Ted being as nervous as he was Cody didn’t want to make it worse. Gently keeping his hand on Ted’s wrist, eyes on the others, Cody smiled slightly and murmured softly, “It’s Ok. Ya go one finger a’ a time. Starting with yer index migh’ be easies’.”

Ted gulped a little bit, suddenly feeling like some young adolescent rather than a man, exhaling a breath before nodding his head, “A-Alright.”

The first sensation of his finger pressing inside of Cody was indescribable. The other looked minutely uncomfortable, but didn’t tell him to stop, and the hand on his wrist helped him establish how to work his hand in and out of the other’s body, soon working the finger in on his own. It was hot, and tight, and… Oh, God, how was that going to feel when he was the one inside of the other? A second joined the first with Cody’s guidance, Ted soon figuring out that scissoring would aid the process before Cody could comment on it. When it came to the third finger though Ted hesitated a moment, looking up at Cody, mouth turning dry when he saw the flushed, hooded-eyed and swollen-lipped look that was currently being directed at him by Cody, “What’s wrong, Teddy?”

“I—“swallowing, trying hard to try and formulate some way to get his voice working, Ted eventually managed, “—I, are ya sure three is Ok, Cody?” Sure, the other was slightly more open than he had been before Ted had touched him, but still…

“Yes, Teddy,” Cody soothed, his other hand reaching and caressing Ted’s arm, “It’s Ok. Besides, yeh’ve gotta’ve realised now that yeh’re gonna be bigger than three fingers.” A sheepish look crossed Ted’s face, licking his dry lips and nodding, silently mumbling to himself what Cody would swear was a prayer, but he couldn’t be completely sure about it.

The third finger began to ease into him, and soon Cody was moaning softly and writhing underneath the touch, revelling in the fact that Cody was the one touching him like this. “So good, Teddy,” he praised breathily after a few minutes, then reaching and trying to draw the other in, “Teddy, I’m ready.”

Easing his hand out of the other Ted then placed some of that lubrication solution on his own shaft, moving between Cody’s legs, a hand steadying himself. He was shaking slightly and was only mildly ashamed of the fact. Slowly, but surely, Ted began to drive himself into the other’s body, almost losing himself within seconds of having the head of him inside Cody, “Oh, fuck!” he whimpered, Cody’s reassuring hands and soft voice sounding, “It’s Ok Teddy, nice ‘n’ slow now…”

Ted took a deep breath to calm himself, trying to take Cody’s advice – but oh god, it was tough to do. He knew that he could just bury himself in the other man and more than likely that feeling would drive him right over the edge immediately, but how would that be any good for Cody? And even though this was the first time he had done anything like this and he couldn’t imagine that Cody was expecting much from him, he wanted to affect Cody in the same way the outlaw was affecting him. He had always thought that he would be able to contain himself when he met the person he wanted to be with, assuming there would be all the time in the world to be with them. But he knew that even if life had been different, he wouldn’t have been able to contain himself around Cody even so. He couldn’t have held out, he was stunned at himself that he’d managed to hold out as long as he had, in spite of his reservations.

Cody was still giving him reassurances that it was okay, he was okay – he didn’t want to harm his lover in any way and he supposed it would be easy to do if he got carried away. Taking things slowly, he pressed himself all the way inside Cody until he was buried to the hilt in the other, giving a small moan as he tried to get used to the feeling. He wasn’t sure that he ever would. Cody’s hand and his mouth might have felt good around him but as strong as those sensations had been, they paled in comparison to how it felt to actually be inside the other man. Cody was so damn tight, gripping every inch of him and for long moments he almost forgot to breathe.

Cody’s hand brushed against his cheek, bringing him back to himself and reminding him that if he died of sheer bliss then it probably wouldn’t be memorable to the outlaw for the reasons Ted would like it to be. He took a couple of breaths and warned himself silently to remember he had to savour this, not rush and blunder his way through – if this was the only chance he ever got to be with Cody in this way, then he wanted it to be everything he had been imagining and more, and for Cody never to be sorry he had allowed Ted this. Cody’s hands went around his shoulders, his legs hooking tightly around Ted’s waist and then he smiled, managing somehow to look sinfully inviting. “You can move Teddy,” he murmured, canting his hips slightly and making Ted gasp with how the sudden movement affected him.

Experimentally, Ted moved out of Cody about half-way, all that he could bear to withdraw, before pushing himself back into the other man. Cody gave a quiet moan, head falling back as his hips rose to meet Ted’s rather slow motions and feeling slightly more confident by the apparent liking the other had to it, Ted started to slide in and out of the other man, his heartbeat erratic and his breathing heavy but no longer feeling like he was on the verge of losing control of and embarrassing himself. He kept things slow, still mindful of how tight Cody was and not wanting to do him and injury. There was no way something like this could be a sin, he thought to himself a little giddily. It felt more like he’d found a gateway to Heaven than a fast road to Hell and there was nothing in any part of the afterlife that could possibly match this feeling.

Cody leaned up slightly, brushing his lips against Ted’s and for several seconds the two of them shared a slightly messy but no less passionate kiss. The action pressed their chests together and Ted would have sworn that he felt Cody’s heart beating just as fast as his own in that moment. When they parted Ted stared down at Cody’s face a moment, gratified to see how Cody’s eyes were wide and darkened, the way he supposed his own must be. The position wasn’t the best for him to control his movements into the man and he leaned up more than earlier, thrusting into Cody with a little more force now that he knew what he was doing and that his lover was able to take it without complaint.

Or so he’d thought; he hadn’t been prepared for the response he got. Cody’s back arched slightly and his eyes widened still further, lips parting as a helpless cry fell from them. His hands slipped to Ted’s arms and tightened almost painfully. Even through his own pleasure Ted was able to stop, suddenly afraid that he’d done something too roughly after all.

Cody’s eyes fixed on him, the look in them urgent and almost wild. “Don’t stop Teddy,” he said hoarsely, tightening his legs and trying to coax Ted into moving again. “Please don’t stop now!”

There was no way that Ted could deny that request, he thrust forward into Cody in the same way as before and again Cody gave that same wanton cry, hips driving up to meet Ted’s. “Fuck, yes, there!” he moaned, muscles tightening around Ted like a vice. Ted gave a quiet growl of his own as his hand went to Cody’s hip, fingers digging in to the others skin as he started moving faster, giving in to his instincts. Beneath him Cody was writhing, a thin layer of sweat on his body, letting out gasps and curses every time Ted thrust into him. Even through his own excitement, Ted found a primal satisfaction in the reaction he was invoking in the other – he could have quite happily watched the other in the throes of pleasure all day, although it wasn’t likely he’d have been able to do so without eventually finding the sight overcoming him – and that without being touched. Add to that the sheer ecstasy that he was getting from being inside Cody and there was no chance of him being able to last much longer... or ever forget this moment. He knew that regardless of what happened in his life from this moment, he was never going to be able to do this with anyone else without imagining this encounter, with Cody’s face in his mind and not that of whomever he was with. He’d never meet anyone who could make him feel the way Cody did, he had known that almost from the moment they met and this only confirmed it.

“Cody, oh god,” he moaned, finding that his body had completely taken over and he was no longer taking things slowly, as Cody had told him to in the beginning – which didn’t seem to be bothering his lover, since Cody was meeting every move he made, actively encouraging him to keep it up. He wanted Cody to reach completion with him, but he didn’t think he was going to be able to keep himself under control that long. “Cody, I can’t, can’t last—“

Cody’s hand left his arm and Ted managed to tear his gaze away from Cody’s face and watch its progress, eyes widening as he saw the hand wrap itself around the erection that had been trapped between their bodies and start moving it firmly up and down, a somewhat higher pitched moan leaving him. Ted had never seen anyone do that before, save for himself and he didn’t tend to look down while he was doing that to himself – he’d not realised how much of a turn-on seeing something like that would look. Cody’s muscles started to flex around him even tighter and Ted felt his balls tighten, knowing that it was all over.

“CODY!” Ted drove himself into the other man erratically and mindlessly, barely realising that his release was shooting deep inside his lover. Every sensation, sound and feeling seemed magnified by a thousand, furious energy racing through his body, the way Cody felt around him prolonging the reaction. Somewhere in the midst of his orgasm he was aware of Cody crying out his name, the warmth of the others release hitting his stomach and Cody moving harder against him, as if trying to take Ted deeper inside him and keep him there. He didn’t think he had ever felt anything quite so intoxicating and addictive as he did right then.

It seemed to take a long time for the feeling to wear off and when Ted was finally able to think of something more than the pleasure coursing through him, he realised that he was trembling lightly, still buried inside Cody. He had actually done this... and there was a sudden terrible wash of fear as the doubting voice that seemed to speak up when he was feeling too confident suggested that now Cody had managed to get him to this point, he would be less than impressed by the performance – or worse, Ted’s holding out was the only reason for the group to stay around and now they would leave without so much as a backward glance.

Cody must have seen the look in Ted’s eyes, because his arms snaked around the man’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Ted was a little worried about crushing his lover but Cody seemed unconcerned and Ted surrendered wholly to the languid, satisfied kiss. They were breathing heavily again once they parted, what little breath they’d regained stolen from them. Ted was very aware that he was still inside Cody and although he didn’t want to, he knew the way he was rapidly softening meant he’d soon slip out anyway and his shaking arms weren’t going to support him forever. Pulling out of the other (and was that a slightly disappointed sound that Cody made?) he settled beside Cody, wondering what the polite thing to say in these circumstances was. Belatedly, he hoped that the piano player that had been in the saloon the day before was there once more and had upped the volume.

Cody rolled over to settle against him, looking back at Ted’s face with clear satiation. There was something in his eyes – if Ted didn’t know better, he would have thought it was reverence but that didn’t seem too likely. Cody reached out with his hand, pushing some of Ted’s hair from his brow. “That was incredible Teddy,” he murmured quietly, a little concern in his face. “Did you – are you alright?”

Ted’s smile was weary but wholly genuine. “That has to be the best thing that ever happened to me in my life,” he said, adding within the privacy of his head, and the best thing that ever will happen to me.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Never Quit, Give Up Or Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is approached by Hunter and Sheriff Michaels regarding a job off-- an off that Randy is none too pleased to hear about. Wade meets the alluring singer, Justin Gabriel, and offers him a job, to the delight of his family, the Otungas.

John was incredibly uncomfortable when he found himself cornered between the sheriff of Bone Orchard and the man he introduced as Hunter. There was something about the sheriff that set his alarms off and caused him some concern, not just because he was certain that the man was subtly checking him out. Being a gay man meant that he either got a good idea when there was someone interested or he never got laid; it wasn’t like there was any way he could make his preferences known and hope that he met a nice guy, he had never been overt about how he felt because his own sheriff’s position might have been in jeopardy. He was almost certain though that Shawn had glanced at his ass more than once and there was a definite purr to his voice when he spoke.

Hunter on the other hand was all business, although he gave John a very obvious once-over from head to foot and back again. It was wholly different to how Shawn looked at him though; with Hunter he felt more like a horse that the man was considering making an offer for... although with Shawn, he felt more like one of the girls working out of the saloon that the sheriff was planning to make an offer for, assuming he didn’t see anything he liked better.

The questions started right away, Shawn wanting to know just how long he was planning to be in town. John shrugged, saying he wasn’t at all certain but probably not that long.

“As long as you’re here, you’re not sheriff of anywhere,” said Shawn, eyes bright but the smirk he wore rather amused. “I doubt you’re gettin’ paid for bein’ all the way out here.”

“I got shot a while back,” said John shortly, not feeling like explaining himself, not to the sheriff who perhaps had some reason to be asking and certainly not to a private citizen, who had no reason to be asking no matter how rich. “I’m takin’ some time to recover, figured I’d see the country while I did it.”

“And the boy you’re travellin’ with?”

John thought fast. “Ted Smith ain’t never been out of his own town, wanted to see how things were elsewhere. He asked me to travel with him some while he took a li’l vacation, show him how things worked and then take him on home.”

Both blondes looked amused by this, Hunter’s smirk growing. “He payin’ well?”

“None of your business,” said John shortly. He didn’t know if he regretted the lie or not, it was as good as saying that Ted wasn’t used to travelling alone and was sheltered as hell, but anyone spending five minutes asking him these sorts of questions would know that right away – and he suspected that he wasn’t going to be the only one getting questioned. He would have thought it was about what had happened earlier, how he was involved with Randy and his gang, except that no one seemed very anxious to look at the circumstances behind that one.

“Ain’t no town gonna pay a salary while you’re takin’ yourself a break,” said Shawn slyly and John’s blue eyes narrowed. That much was true. What was also true was that he had been a deputy for several years before he made Sheriff, he had no wife and no children, he didn’t drink and he didn’t indulge in tobacco or any other real vices. And the sheriff got good prices for the food he ate, the single ladies of town often brought him pies and cakes in an odd declaration of romantic interest, saying that he was ‘wasting away’, something that never failed to make John laugh (when the ladies weren’t around of course, that would just be mean). In short, he hadn’t struggled for money in a while, his home was his own with no debt to the bank and although he was a long way from rich, he did have something stashed away and his job waiting for him when he got home. He was lucky and he knew it.

He didn’t make a response and Shawn continued. “I take it that’s why you’re babysittin’ Mr Smith? Makin’ a li’l extra to see ya through?”

“Again,” said John, a lot less polite than he had been. “That ain’t none of your business.”

Shawn held up his hands, smile still in place. “Okay, you’re right, it ain’t.”

“On the other hand,” said Hunter. “You’re doin’ this job ‘cause you can’t go back to sheriff ‘til you’re healed, that’s what you’re sayin’. Or maybe you got replaced when you got shot, like you say that’s none of our business. What is my business... let’s say, I got a lot of plans for this town and a lot of money that I’m willin’ ta spend seein’ it through. I can see you’re strong just by lookin’ at ya, you’re handy with a gun – I can use that. And I can be real generous to the people I can use.”

John’s radar was swinging wildly. “You don’t think it might be more convenient to ask someone local? Someone likely ta be around a while?”

“Once you hear me out, you might be around for awhile,” replied Hunter. “And I don’t think the locals’d be too interested in my offer... although given how much money I’d be willing to offer, they might soon change their tune.” And he named a sum that made John’s eyebrows shoot up. Damn, he was sure that even Ted would do a double-take at that amount.

“What the hell would you be offerin’ that kinda money for?”

“Not here,” said Hunter jovially. “If you’re interested in makin’ that, easy and clean, come see me this evenin’. Or tomorrow. Take some time ta think about it and let me know. I live in the big house away from town – you wanna come see me, I’ll be expecin’ ya.”

The two blondes exchanged looks that John couldn’t even begin to read and then bid John farewell and headed off together, leaving John completely confused and more than a little worried. What the hell had all that been about?

~:~

Hearing Ted’s admittance soothed the last of the unease within Cody; though he could have easily just assumed that the other had had a good time with their activities, that he had enjoyed it, it was so much more soothing to have the confirmation. Though he pretended he couldn’t Cody could see the small flickering of Ted’s warm blue hues, a clear indication that the man was feeling something more than lingering pleasure and contentment. However, it was hardly the time of place to push such matters; he just wanted to enjoy the moment as long as they possibly could with one another. Cody could feel Ted’s release inside of him and also starting to come out of his body somewhat, but he made no move to rush and clean up. Actually, he didn’t rush at all. Instead all he did was draw Ted in for another kiss that he felt right through his very core as Ted returned it. Caressing one of Ted’s flushed, perfectly sweaty cheeks, Cody then quirked a rather gentle smirk, affection in his eyes and tone as he murmured, “You really are one of a kind, Theodore DiBiase.”

Hearing Cody saying his last name was only mildly unnerving, more wholly tingle-inducing. His chest swelled, warmed, whenever Cody spoke his name, last, first, nickname, it didn’t matter; coming from Cody’s mouth it sounded like music that only angels themselves could compose. He could have died a happy man then and there if only he was promised hearing Cody saying his name for the rest of eternity. With an almost dazed reverence Ted ran his hand over Cody’s sweaty chest, hand resting over the still rather erratic heart pounding underneath the sinewy muscle and bone. It was a perfect tandem to his own heart, something he was surer of this time than the other. The ravenette watched Ted’s face as Ted touched him, an almost childlike wonder on his face.

From now until the day he drew his last breath Cody owned a part of Ted that no one else would ever get. If Fate dealt him the correct cards then he would hopefully receive one more precious gift of Ted’s before they had to part their ways. That was a consideration for another time though; it was a very profound moment for Ted he could tell, and he wasn’t without feeling towards it all himself. To try and demand something more now would seem both greedy and selfish—he had to savour the occasion as it was. Of course, Ted would have no idea he was thinking this on the outside, because although Cody’s guard had dropped significantly around the man he found it hard to express himself freely, constantly, in his expressions, because for the majority of the day his face was usually hidden, or being systematically used to charm people as means to an end. “What are you thinking about?” a soft voice suddenly broke through his melancholy thoughts.

Confronted by Ted’s beautiful face Cody smiled gently, stroking a finger over the other’s smooth jaw, “You. Right now I ain’t thinki’ o’ nothin’ but you, Teddy.” Such a simple sentiment had Ted looking pleased, so very pleased… but then Cody could see that same slight darkness clouding Ted’s eyes, something that looked remotely like… sadness. He wished he could make the sadness leave, but since he himself was sharing in it there was very little he could do; life was well known for dealing you bum cards, and all Cody could do was silently curse the hands they had been dealt that had culminated in the obstacles that would face he and Ted together as a couple. Once more they leant in to meet one another halfway for a kiss, and Cody would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the little touches Ted was giving him—as though the other couldn’t actually believe he was real. Oh, he was real alright. He was not fantasy Ted might have formulated for his needs.

“Yeh were damn magnificent, Ted,” Cody murmured softly when they parted, fingers absently tracing over Ted’s nose and lips. He’d never especially thought of himself as sentimental before (except maybe towards his two friends, but that was a completely different situation. Besides… when it came to Ted nothing seemed to follow the usual patters that he had seen during his time travelling land upon land in pursuit of money and thrills. Suddenly, he found himself considering that they were pretty fuckin’ reckless as a group, weren’t they? Usually that didn’t bother him at all, he thrived on the rush, Evan having the poignant place as their conscious now and again, the voice of reason… man, what was Ted DiBiase doing to him? Though it was pretty damn terrifying on one level, on another he didn’t want the feeling to go.

Unfortunately, a sudden somewhat tentative knock at the door sounded. Momentarily the two men froze, but then John’s voice floated through the wood, “Ted, m’alrigh’ t’come in?”

Ted was about to call back, No, and Could he come back later? when Cody called lightly, “G’head, Cena,” before pulling the covers over them and yet making no more effort to hide what they had been doing with one another.

Even though it was only John who would see, John who already knew, it was still very embarrassing when the door was eased open just enough to let John’s strong body squeeze through. His brows rose at the side of the pair on the bed, but other than giving what seemed like an oddly brotherly look of amused acceptance he merely went and adopted a seat on the chair that accompanied the desk in the room. “Yeh coulda told me t’wait outside a sec.”

“Where’d the fun be in that?” Cody asked vaguely, his head resting on Ted’s chest and smirking softly, wholly pleased with what had just happened. Though he would have liked some more time to just bask in their aftermath together, alone, he couldn’t deny that there was a part of him that was pleased John was seeing this: though he doubted the sheriff had designs on Ted it never hurt to just kind of… help these notions along, did it? Ted was his, and he didn’t care how circumstances might prevent him from obtaining the ownership and claim that he might want regarding the blonde he could indicate it as much as possible with what sway he had.

John’s eyes rolled, trying not to laugh at the way Ted looked torn between amusement and yet embarrassed outrage—apparently Ted could think of several reasons as to why John should have waited until he and Cody had composed themselves. However, as soon as the expression had appeared it seemed to be gone, the blonde man settling down once again. “You can tell that’cher one of Randy’s boys—yeh’re all so damn possessive aintcha?” Cody shrugged, giving an expression that said quite plainly, You got a point in there somewhere, Sheriff?

A surprised expression flittered across Ted’s face, looking down to where Cody rested against his chest, wondering whether they were just larking about or whether that was a serious point. Sure, Cody hadn’t denied it, but he hadn’t exactly been able to see the other’s expression either. Ted lightly stroked his fingers over Cody’s neck and shoulders, smiling softly to himself as the muscles shifted lightly with his motion, goosebumps rising up on the other’s skin; Cody was still so sensitive to his touch even after what they had done… that was heartening. “Yeh mek it sound like yeh’ve heard somethin’ similar directed at yerself be a ssssertain ssssomeone, sheriff.”

John would have loved to wipe the shit-eating grin from Cody’s face, but he couldn’t, for two simple reasons: 1) Ted would probably get mad and stop him, and 2) it was true, wasn’t it?

Amusement touched Ted’s eyes now, lips quirking into a playful smile as he essentially forgot the fact that he was naked and curled up with Cody, oh-so-very-guilty for their amazing indulgence, now that the tables had been turned on John. “Something that you’d like t’share with the rest of us, John?” he enquired.

John leaned back in his chair, ankle resting on his thigh and the foot he had braced on the floor bouncing somewhat with his agitation, cheeks pink and sky-blues directed at the ceiling, “Nope, nothin’.” Though it was glaringly apparent from his behaviour that Cody had hit a mark, Ted still feeling the other’s chest shaking with surprised laughter at his own cleverness with the previously exaggerated ‘s’ sounds.

“He wants t’see ya again, y’know,” Cody mused, his fingers tracing circles over Ted’s lickable abdomen and love-handles underneath the covers, causing Ted to nibble somewhat agitatedly upon his lip as small sparks seemed to shoot across his skin wherever Cody touched. Even though the other wasn’t touching him in a sexual or inappropriate manner, (more intimately familiar than anything) he could feel a stirring in his abdomen, and also wanted to give his manhood a stern talking-to; how could he want to go again when he had literally just finished not a few minutes ago? Truthfully he had expected he wouldn’t recover from that encounter for days, weeks even. Hopefully neither Cody nor John would notice his reaction then.

“Does he now?” John asked, pretending to be looking completely and utterly unconcerned by Cody’s words as he took his gun from its holster and undid the bullet chamber, emptying it, counting them and reloading. Ted noticed that John checked his gun like that at least twice a day, usually first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and he wondered why the man was so concerned about his bullets. Then again, John had faced things that he had never even dreamt of before—the man probably had good reason to be somewhat cautious.

“Yup,” Cody responded, a warm shiver running down his spine as he felt Ted’s abdomen jumping underneath his fingertips, another movement Ted was experiencing garnering his attention. “So, Sheriff, I was wonderin’ if I could make a deal witcha—“Cody said, deciding he may as well make his intentions known then and there, then Ted could express his misgivings if he had any, and alternate arrangements could be made if necessary. Though the future was uncertain, when exactly they would be heading out, going to the border and to their safety, Cody knew at least that he had that night and he wanted to make the most of it. Ted turned some more underneath him, though whether it was to escape the gentle brushing motion of his fingers of to look at him better Cody didn’t know, continuing with his previous train of thought when he realised that he had John’s undivided attention. “I let the viper know which room ya got here, ‘n’ Teddy here gets to come ‘n’ stay with me tonigh’, without you givin’ him any grief over it.” He knew John was unlikely to do so anyway, but he had to be a glib, cocky bastard as much as possible—Randy would have a fit if he found out that he’d acted otherwise, regardless of who he was acting it too.

John’s brows almost vanished into his hairline, incredulous, but Cody didn’t let up. Shrugging his impressive shoulders John shrugged, “If Ted here wants t’spend the nigh’ witcha then I ain’t gonna stop him; I ain’t his nanny, ya know?”

Ted appreciated that, though he knew he still would’ve asked, well, told the other where he was going to be in case. Looking down he realised Cody was looking back at him, “Stay with me tonight?”

Was that supposed to be a trick question? Cody’s grin widened as Ted murmured a soft agreement, Cody suddenly delving his hand under the folds of the covers and tossed something at John. “Thanks fer this, Cena, really helped things along.” The outlaw smirked, looking between John and Ted; he didn’t know which man was redder.

~:~

It was an excruciating amount of time later when they managed to get rid of Layla (the manager had to come and get rid of her for them in the end, and as an apology he even let them have their food free; immediately both Evan and Randy decided that Mr Blank was a pretty stand-up guy) and then they were left to their own devices once more. “We better warn Cody t’keep his head down,” Randy shook his head slightly, “She’s gonna be trouble if we don’ watch ourselves.” Cody had claimed Layla had been a pretty bad choice in retrospect, thinking that just because they had slept together Cody was suddenly going to throw off all the ‘shackles’ of his outlaw life with his friends to settle down with her and pop the question—she had been spouting that Cody should ‘take responsibility’ for her, but Cody wasn’t having any… Layla had been no virgin that much he’d known for sure.

Nodding his head, Evan swallowed the mouthful of rather tasty food he had taken and nodded, “Yeah. I guess we need t’go ‘n’ pick ‘im up soon, don’ we?” If they let him be he would spend all the remainder of the day and night with Ted, and although neither of them wanted to begrudge their friend time with his lover they knew that people might potentially be suspicious as it was. If Cody went back to Ted later on in the evening then that was his choice, but until the sun went down they should get him with them.

“Do yeh remember where Cena an’ Smith’re stayin’?” Evan asked; he’d only seen the place in passing, hadn’t truly gotten too much of a look at it. Randy nodded, shovelling some of the meat and beans into his own mouth. Absently he noticed Kelly watching Evan, coyly underneath her lashes, and wanly he mused that under other circumstances she may have been a good match for Evan… as it was though, she wasn’t, for one fundamental reason.

When they finished their meal they bid Kelly goodbye, told her to pass on their compliments for the meal and left. Hey, they might be badass outlaws, but they knew to use manners when it counted, and it wouldn’t do them any harm to be nice to people in the only town where the folk who lived there weren’t trying to measure them for a noose or gun them down. Placing their hats atop their heads they padded out into the streets once more, noticing that the place had livened up significantly since the incident that morning. It was rather more soothing to have people bustling around then having the empty streets they had seen in other places even before dark.

As they were both just meandering aimlessly through the streets, letting their food settle, a female voice suddenly called, “Well, I do declare, lookit what the cat dragged in!”

Randy chuckled and tipped his hat back somewhat, seeing the dark-haired woman who had been a great help to them when they had arrived in Bone Orchard the first time; Melina might be the school mistress but she was also a wickedly good cook and had some decent medicinal skills on her; she’d saved Cody from having a damned awful infection from a bullet-wound once, the stubborn ass point-blank refusing to go to a doctor. “Good afternoon Missy Melina,” Randy grinned, Evan waving and giving a similar greeting, heading to the house the woman stood before.

Absently, the closer they drew, Evan wondered whether Melina’s husband John was in—for some reason he was really wary about Randy being around his wife, even though Melina had done little more than flirt with Randy, and even then there was something more sibling in their banter than sexual. “You’re lookin’ good boys,” she told them, critical eyes sweeping them over, before she then clucked her tongue in an almost motherly manner, “I heard that you’ve been playin’ in games that are a bit rougher than the last time you were up here though?”

Randy shrugged somewhat, genuine smile still in place, “Well, you know us… we always did like it best with some excitement involved.”

Melina rolled her dark eyes affectionately before pausing, seeming to realise that the trio was one member short, “And where’s Cody gotten himself off to?”

Evan could tell Randy wanted to amend the comment to who Cody had gotten off on, but Evan kicked him slightly in the shin to forestall the comment; understanding Melina might be but even she would have sore misgivings about that situation. Deep down though Evan had a feeling she knew about their inclinations—it was just the feeling she gave him.

“He’s visitin’ a friend who’s stopped by in the area,” Randy responded absently, then asked, “How’ve you been, Melina? Last we heard you and John had just gained a new addition t’family—“

Melina nodded, smiling, “Oh yes, John’s inside with ‘er now. Dotes on that little girl I tell ya—“ John and Melina had four children together, three boys and now their first girl. Randy had to admit he was impressed; he’d always had a bit of a soft spot for children. Funnily enough, given that Evan was so good with kids, he’d always maintained that he didn’t want any of his own, Cody being a secret sentimental like Randy.

“Congratulations,” Evan said and Melina smile warmly at him.

“Thank yah hun, now then—“she levelled them with a firm look, “I expect you three to join us for dinner tonight.”

“Oh, we couldn’ impose—“Evan responded immediately, though it was more out of habit than anything; Melina was a woman who you did not win arguments against, and it was just easier to save face and agree. Everyone snickered softly that John Morrison was whipped by his wife, but when she turned her fiery tongue on them the snickers soon stopped. “We’d be delighted, Melina,” Randy nodded, “Cody should be back wi’ us by then, so we’ll all be here. What time wouldja like us?” a few minutes, and finalised plans later, Evan and Randy bid Melina goodbye as she headed back into her home and they headed towards the saloon where they had a feeling Cody was.

Upon entering they noticed the tall looking man with dark hair that they’d noticed talking to Chris at the party the night before, and Evan was immediately territorial and yet curious; Cody had said he’d seen the man looking quite taken with the cute African singer that had been onstage for a time—Evan didn’t remember him, having been too focused on leading Chris on a chase. Heading over to the desk Randy nodded, “Afternoon. Don’ suppose ya could tell us whether ya have misters Cena and Smith ‘ere do ya?”

Wade eyed them suspiciously, mouth opening to question just who wanted to know, and why, when a voice sounded, “What’re you two doin’ ‘ere?”

Speak of the devil, Evan though, “Hey Cena,” he greeted with the utmost casualness, Randy silent, looking, John returning it. God, obvious much guys?  
Cody might have thought that the barkeep was dreamy-eyed over the young singer from the night before but Evan wasn’t willing to risk that he’d notice the looks going on between Randy and John and use it as an excuse to say ‘not in my property’ and toss John and Ted out on the street. Although he had seemed to be a friend of Chris’, a man could never be a hundred per cent sure given how far away he’d been when he had spied Chris among the crowds chatting to the Englishman. “We dropped by for a drink,” he said casually, knowing that Wade would still be listening – in his experience, bartenders were nosy bastards and seemed to know everything about everyone in town by virtue of overhearing a lot of talk after liquor had loosened tongues. “Figured you might like to join us.”

“Sure.” John thankfully was playing along, as if they were pretty much acquaintances more than anything else and while that might be true of himself and Evan, they hadn’t exchanged many words, Wade might just be aware that Cody had spent the night in the saloon in place of John – not that he was passing comment or even hinting if he really was aware of the fact.

They took a seat after getting drinks – Wade had kept bar for a while in Bone Orchard and was well aware that after the parties that Chris occasionally arranged for the whole town, there were a lot of sore heads the day after. As a result there was fruit juice as well as the usual selection of water, beer and hard liquor. No slouch when it came to business opportunities, Wade had made sure word went around town that both tomato and apple juice had headache-curing properties and then sold it the day after such a bash, he also put on coffee. Evan noticed that in spite of that, there were still a few people nursing beer bottles.

“Will Mr Smith be joining us?” he asked rather playfully.

“...Soon,” said John after a slight pause that told Evan everything he needed to know; probably Cody was with Ted and the two were dressing or similar. He had to hand it to his friend, he could charm just about anyone, although given the way he’d been acting over this Ted Smith, Evan wasn’t sure that this was just a way for Cody to talk the man into bed. He knew Cody well enough that he was sure there was something more going on there, something that had taken Cody by surprise. He just wondered what it was that Cody had found out – Randy had filled him in on the picture the bounty hunter had carried and it was worrying him too. But he was sure that had it been something for them to be genuinely concerned about, then Cody would have sought them out and they’d be leaving already, he would not be in bed with the man – and Ted would probably not be joining them for drinks.

Evan grinned, feeling mischievous – he was in a very good mood thanks to his night with Chris and it tended to make him bold. Mouthy, Randy would say, but whatever. “And how’re you feelin’ this afternoon Sheriff? I trust you slept well.”

“I didn’t sleep at all,” returned John wryly, sensing that Evan wanted a reaction of some kind and knowing that he wouldn’t expect honesty, it might just be the fastest way to keep him quiet. “How ‘bout you? Hear you weren’t in your room all night either.”

Randy laughed loudly as Evan tried to come up with some quick comeback and failed, eventually just giving a shrug and a grin. “Surprised ya noticed, considerin’ ya must’ve been occupied,” he settled for in the end, fooling no one but being good-natured about it.

A few minutes later, Ted and Cody walked into the saloon together, having clearly come from the upstairs rather than the outside. Evan watched them closely; although they weren’t doing anything like holding hands or even looking at each other he could tell that there was something going on between them, though it was only because he knew Cody so well that he noticed it. He and Randy had both noticed how Cody had reacted to Ted when he was their hostage, flirtatious and yet on almost his best behaviour. Almost, because he hadn’t forgotten the looks or the way that Cody had slapped Ted’s ass when he was lying over Randy’s horse. But Cody seemed to have lost the rather anxious, short-tempered mood that he had picked up since they had left Ted behind and certainly that worry that he’d had since the incident with the bounty hunter.

The two men took seats at the table, everyone having to move around a bit to accommodate them and Evan was amused to note how John and Randy were close enough to have their knees brushing beneath the table, Ted and Cody almost as close although not as brazen – it was probably out of deference to Ted that Cody was behaving that way since Cody was pretty shameless most of the time.

“Hi guys,” said Randy casually, giving Ted the same piercing look that had earned him his nickname, the kind that tended to make people freeze up. “Codes, we expectin’ any more company with guns?”

John nudged Randy none too gently and Cody gave him a frown, silently warning him not to start asking Ted about it and trying to transmit they could discuss it later. “No. That’s the only one we’ll be seein’ ‘round here.”

“That’s good, I’d hate to be chased away before I was ready.” Not too subtle a threat and Cody kicked him under the table, missing and catching John in the shin. The sudden wince of pain on the sheriff’s face had Evan laughing and the slight tension passed.

“Probably looks a bit odd, us all sittin’ here together,” said Cody. “Y’think anyone’ll talk?”

“We’re just gettin’ acquainted, nothin’ wrong with that,” returned Randy. “We gotta head off to the Morrison’s shortly anyway. Miss Melina asked us over to dinner.”

Evan opened his mouth to mention their confrontation with Layla, considered Ted and thought better of it. In Cody’s place, he certainly wouldn’t have mentioned the woman to his new lover. “She’s a damn fine cook, no way am I missin’ out,” he said instead, referring to Melina. “We better be headin’ off soon to wash up and wear our finest.” He gave a meaningful look at Randy, who quickly adjusted his shirt collar. “Why’d ya do that Rand? There’s nothin’ on yer neck.”

“Asshole,” growled Randy, to much merriment from Evan and Cody and an embarrassed flush from John.

“You guys know a lot of the people in town then?” asked John casually, hoping he didn’t look too embarrassed and rather tempted to check on his own collar.

“Not everyone by a long shot,” Cody replied. “But some. After that business a couple years back, there’s a lot more we know but we ain’t familiar with most.” He gave Ted a glance, seeing the others curiosity – of course, Ted probably knew nothing about that although John didn’t look too surprised.

“I heard tell the old sheriff got shot and killed,” said John, not knowing why he was bothering to be careful. Everyone would realise he’d spoken to Randy about the issue already. “You know anything about this new guy, Michaels? He sure knew who you were earlier.”

“Shawn,” said Randy, slightly territorially. He had been watching earlier and hadn’t missed the glances the man had made at John’s backside, although he didn’t know if John had picked up on it. That wasn’t the issue, that the man had been looking in the first place was. “Back then, he was just one of the deputies but he stepped up some when the sheriff got killed.”

“He hadn’t been in town too long before that,” added Evan unexpectedly, something he knew from a conversation with Chris before they had slept together. “He was a deputy elsewhere, but he told Ch – he told the mayor that town politics held him back there and he wanted a change of scene. Had all the recommendations though, so they took him on as a deputy.”

John remained impassive but his suspicions about where Evan had spent the night suddenly got a whole lot more validity. Mayor Jericho didn’t strike him as the type to share that information with any random stranger. “How did you three find him to be?”

Randy guessed that John hadn’t realised he’d seen them talking earlier. “Out for himself,” he said bluntly. “He’s willin’ ta get involved but only when it’s in his own best interests. Smooth talker, slick y’know? But there’s somethin’ ‘bout him that’s untrustworthy. I don’t know him, that’s just impressions, but I learned to trust mine.”

John nodded. “And there’s this other fella, Hunter...”

Evan made some noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort and John glanced at him, startled, but Evan didn’t say anything. Randy filled him in instead. “Wasn’t around when we were, but we heard shit about him since we got here. Thinks he’s too good for the folks around here, that kinda thing. And he’s been makin’ a big noise about one of the ladies who owns a farm ‘round here, ‘bout how it’s not legal. It ain’t, but some lawyer managed to get some loophole writ so she gets ta keep it. He’s pissed. Sounds like a real piece of work.” He fixed his gaze on John. “Why you wanna know?”

John shook his head slowly. “The two of ‘em approached me before, askin’ ‘bout money. I told ‘em Ted was payin’ me to travel with him—“ Ted looked indignant and he smirked slightly. “I didn’t wanna tell ‘em anythin’ Ted and I couldn’t think of nothin’ else on the spot.” He could see Ted trying to think of a way to ask if he actually did want paying – the boy was so transparent sometimes – and stopped it as quickly as he could. “I didn’t want ‘em knowin’ the whole trip was my idea and you were along for the ride. I think they thought I was hard-up or somethin’, ‘cause they were offerin’ me money for some job. Didn’t say what it might be though.”

“You ain’t takin’ it,” Randy ordered immediately. “Once we head outta here, so’re you. You ain’t takin’ no job offa that man.”

John raised his eyebrows, feeling a stirring of anger at the tone. “You ain’t in a position to be tellin’ me what ta do, Orton.”

The two men looked at one another, eyes clashing with a display of battle of wills. The rest of the table went quiet, the sparks between the two men almost visible. Ted didn’t know what to make of the whole thing, while Cody and Evan had never seen anyone challenge Randy so openly without being forced to back down a moment later, usually apologising the entire time. John certainly didn’t seem about to do that.

“I saw the guy last night,” said Cody, wanting to break the tension. “Him and the wife both, talkin’ ta Teddy.”

The slip with the name went largely unnoticed as all eyes turned to Ted. “What did he want with you Ted?” asked John, suddenly a lot more concerned. Damn, it had been idiotic of him to leave Ted alone given that this man had zoned in on him too – as it turned out it was probably lucky that Cody had been watching.

“Just small talk,” replied Ted, looking around at the men, slightly put out because he realised they all thought of him being unable to handle himself. “His wife said the mayor likes these parties and she lived on the outskirts of town. He asked if I was new in town and I said yes. That’s when Cody came over.”

“Not before time by the sound,” said Randy, clearly stubbornly unable to let the issue lie.

Evan rolled his eyes. “Come on. We’d better get ourselves ready for meetin’ with Miss Melina and John this evenin’.” It was actually way too early but someone needed to talk some sense into Randy before his bull-headedness caused an argument. “Beside, might not be a good idea ta look too friendly. A quick drink yeah, that’s neighbourly, but we don’t want too much talk.”

Randy nodded. “I guess,” he said, his knee rubbing against John’s one last time before he pushed the chair from the table and stood up, raising his voice slightly. “Gentlemen,” he said, tipping his hat back slightly and waiting for Cody and Evan to join him. The three of them walked from the bar together and John tried not to watch them leave, particularly Randy’s arse – he was too infuriated with the man at the moment to be reminded that he found him irresistible as well – only to turn back to Ted and find the other being a lot less discrete. “Teddy?” he asked, his voice only slightly teasing.

Ted flushed. “Yeah... about that. Uh. Yeah. Well, ah...”

“Y’like him and you jumped his bones.” John smirked a little, pulling his hat lower over his face. “I ain’t in no position ta judge. Just – don’t get too involved. They ain’t gonna be around more than a couple o’ days and then we get ta go home again.”

“I know.” Ted looked slightly depressed, playing with his cup. “John? How do you not get too involved?”

“Fucked if I know,” replied John before he could stop his mouth; Ted looked slightly taken aback by the remark but then a faint smile crossed his face. At least there was someone else in his position who might know just how hard it was to keep his emotions in check.

“John? You aren’t really thinking about going to see this Hunter are you?” Ted’s gaze was serious. “I know that I only met him for a few moments but I don’t know, I took something of a dislike to him and I don’t normally do that with folks. And I don’t like the things I heard.”

“I don’t know Ted.” John’s look was thoughtful. “I just wish I knew what he wanted to talk to me about. I don’t like a lot of what I heard about him either and him bein’ with the sheriff was a real bad sign, but we ain’t got nothin’ other than bad feelin’s ta go offa. I don’t need his damn money, but my curiosity’s peaked.” And Randy had pissed him off no end by out and out forbidding him, but he didn’t add that part.

~:~

Justin Gabriel stepped rather nervously through the batwing doors leading into the saloon. His cousin David had been enjoying the party just a little too much the previous night, his wife had no sympathy whatsoever and eventually David had all but begged Justin to go and get some of Wade Barrett’s magical hangover cure. Somehow Justin doubted that it was any real good against hangovers, save for perhaps the dehydration and that this Barrett was just damned wily when it came to ways to sell his merchandise. But he’d gone anyway, and willingly – because he’d seen Wade Barrett, he was a hard man to miss given that the only people in town any taller were the local Undertaker’s and he was English as well, he stood out. Not that his physical presence was the only thing Justin had noticed. When he’d taken a break from singing and gone to get a drink there was no way he could make it far into the saloon, the bar was busy and Wade was occupied serving drinks, but Justin had lurked near the back with a beer for close to ten minutes, watching his calm, unruffled manner and the amused smile that occasionally crossed his face. He had no real reason to ever go into the saloon, given that he had yet to find any kind of employment in the town – he had no farming experience, no ranch experience and none of the shops seemed to be hiring, which meant he had no money to fritter away on alcohol. That David had sent him seemed too good a chance to pass up, even if he was sure that all the tomato juice David asked for would do was make him throw up some more and the headache would clear all on its own.

There were a few people in the bar, some seeming like hardened drinkers, a couple of men at a table in the corner who didn’t seem to quite fit in, one blonde and attractive, the other broad with a white hat obscuring his features. Not that Justin wanted to be caught looking of course, since some people were very tetchy about that kind of thing. There had been a war fought over the right to keep coloured people as slaves in America very recently after all and some bad feelings tended to linger.

Wade was behind the bar, but much less busy this time; when he looked up and saw Justin his eyes widened slightly and then a smile crossed his face. Justin hoped that the first look wasn’t anything to do with Wade being prejudiced against him, that would be a real disappointment. Even if he only ever spoke a few words to the man, he wanted to be able to keep his illusions as long as he could and since he was certain illusions was all he would ever have – Wade was no doubt courting one of the local ladies – he wasn’t in a hurry to have those shattered.

“May I have some tomato juice, to take with me?” he asked in a rather soft voice.

“Course,” said Wade, busying himself with an empty bottle that he had washed for this kind of thing – it was amusing how many people found the run to the saloon troublesome when they didn’t feel well. He hoped he wasn’t blushing. He had been powerfully struck by the other man the night before and there he was in the bar? It almost seemed too good to be true, even if he wasn’t sticking around to have a few beers and sing along to the piano. “You uh, have a few too many last night?”

“My cousin,” replied Justin with a slight smile. “He didn’t feel well enough to come here so he sent me in his place.”

Chuckling, Wade took the jug he stored the tomato juice in and started pouring it into the bottle – it would be room temperature by now but that was hardly his problem, though he might have been more worried if Justin were the one planning to drink it. “That happens a lot.”

“So, um...” Conversation wasn’t Wade’s strongest point, at least when it came to those he wanted to impress. “You’re from Af-reak-a, yeah?” He didn’t even realise he was pronouncing it wrong, the streets of England and the wild west weren’t an education in pronunciation.

“I’m from Africa, South Africa.” Justin put a little emphasis on the word, enough to broadcast how to actually say it, not enough to make it sound like he was insulted or correcting Wade – at least, he hoped not. He had all kinds of reasons not to upset Wade in any way but not the least of which was that he was over six-six and looked like he could break most men in town in half without even breaking a sweat.

“You speak good English though,” said Wade, hoping he didn’t sound like a complete fool, although given his earlier mispronunciation he was pretty sure he already sounded like one. “I woulda thought it’d be hard to learn a new language.”

“There are many English men who settle in Johannesburg.” Justin didn’t look too impressed by the recollection. “They like the weather, who can blame them? Most are former army men from England who do not care to learn to speak African. But they employ the locals and therefore many of us learn the language that way.”

Wade was genuinely curious – he’d been born in England and practically fled to America but he’d never been anywhere else – the closest he got was memories of London from the Burchill’s (although he’d never been to the capital either) and some very vague recollections of Chris’ early childhood spent in Canada before he’d ended up in Bone Orchard as a youth. “You worked for some of these English guys?”

“My mother kept house for an officer,” replied Justin, not looking like it was an entirely happy memory Wade noticed. “I was often underfoot and picked up much of the language. I’m told my first words in English were, ‘Get that brat out of my sight’ as those were the ones I heard the most.” He gave Wade a grin so he wouldn’t think it was anything other than a joke. “My job was working in a restaurant serving food and drinks to the rich English, that is how I saved enough to join David here.”

Wade looked impressed but his mind was ticking over. What was it that Chris had said, he’d put out word about Wade needing staff? Maybe there was no need. “So, you’ve experience serving rowdy, rude customers?” He corked the bottle of juice and set it on the bar, waving off the money that Justin offered him, something unheard of for him. “Sounds like you might be perfect.”

Justin frowned. “Perfect for what?”

“Y’might not be interested,” Wade said, although he was almost certain he would be, since Chris had already told him that Justin hadn’t found a job yet. “I work in here all the time and the last guy I hired ran out on me with a young lady...” He noticed the unsurprised expression on Justin’s face, the girls family were still in town and it had been big news at the time, Justin would probably have heard of it although they had been gone by the time the man had come to town. “I could really use some help. Few mornin’s, few evenin’s. Pay’s decent and your tips’re your own.”

Justin tilted his head and Wade had to remind himself that he was a grown man and was not thinking of another grown man as ‘adorable’. “Why does no one already in town wish for this job?”

Wade indicated to the customers. “Most of ‘em either already have a job or they’re more interested in drinkin’ the beer than servin’ it.” He tipped Justin a solemn wink. “I find you dippin’ in the till, I cut off yer hands and eat ‘em, but I’ll letcha have time off when Chris decides to throw another of these street parties. How about it?”

Giving a slightly helpless gesture, Justin smiled, admitting defeat. “When do I start?”

“Take that home to yer cousin and come back in an hour or so. I’ll show y’round and then maybe y’can start tomorrow. Sound good?”

“It sounds very good,” admitted Justin. “And I do need the work. May I ask one question? This—“ He lifted the bottle of juice and shook it. “Will it actually cure the sickness?”

Wade smirked. “It’s crushed up tomatoes. No. Sits kinda heavy on the stomach though and then yer sick it right back up. If it makes yer sick, it’s gotta be workin’.”

Justin’s laughter attracted the attention of the strangers in the corner, but they merely gave him rather amused looks of their own before returning to their conversation.

~:~

“Here you go, cousin David,” Justin said as he stepped into David and Jennifer Otunga’s home.

The seamstress looked up as she heard her in-law, beaming to him before then levelling a look that completely lacked sympathy as she shook her head, “I told ya not to drink so much David, but didju listen t’me? No, no you didn’t.”

Justin really liked his in-law Jennifer, because she was very motherly, looked after him and made him feel welcome—not many women would have accepted a relative into the house so easily, let alone one so young who had no means of support or anything. David looked up from where he was slumped in his armchair, patting Justin’s arm as he accepted the glass. Just as he brought it to his lips though Jennifer shook her head, wagging a finger, “Oh no, David Otunga, don’t you dare!” For a moment the elder Otunga looked confused before then realising what Jennifer was getting at. Muttering an excuse the man ambled outside, Jennifer sighing as she pecked Justin’s cheek, returning her attention to the bread she was making.

“You’re lookin’ rather happy hun,” she said, tilting her dark head to one side, “What’s gotcha smilin’ like that other than me?”

Justin laughed softly, biting his lip slightly and bouncing on the balls of his feet, “I, um, I think I mighta got myself a job,” he admitted.

Jennifer squealed softly in excitement, beaming, “That’s our boy!” it was funny really because people assumed he was some secret child of David and Jennifer’s, not David’s cousin, because of the way they both treated him.

“Wade Barrett says he needs a new waiter, and I told ‘im I did a little of it at home, so he offered me to try it out.”

Jennifer nodded, obviously approving, “Wade’s a good man, he’ll see you right.” That man didn’t put up with fights or abuse to his staff, and unlike some of the people in town (naming no names, of course, because she at least was tolerant and open-minded) he had no segregator policies in place.

“Wade said t’go back there once my cousin David was done with the drink, and then he’d show me around and I could start tomorrow if I was happy with things.” He was nervous, excited and grateful.

Jennifer nudged his shoulder lightly, since her hands were doughy and flour-covered, giving him a smile and a nod, “You’ll be perfect hun, so you just give it your best, Ok?”

Assuring her that he would (and pretending not to notice how peaky David was when he came back into the kitchen, and how there was a slightly… odd smell around his cousin) he took the glass back from David and washed it in the basin before then heading out of the house after calling goodbye to them. Trying not to run back to the saloon, since although he wanted to seem eager he didn’t want to seem too eager.

When he entered the saloon he noticed that the two men who had been there earlier seemed to be receiving a meal. Oops, had he been gone that long? Looking around he spotted Wade at the bar and smiled slightly before heading over to speak to him, “Sorry if I took a while,” he apologised, eyes downcast before looking up again, “Cousin David took a while with your, um, cure.”

Wade laughed heartily, shaking his head, “Jenny givin’ David the third degree, is she?” he asked.

Justin looked amused, “How did you know, Wade?”

“Lovely woman,” Wade said immediately, “But I wouldn’t want t’pick a fight with her. Now then, lemme give ya a quick walk through of the rooms we have here.”

Justin fell into step beside his potential boss, recalling that he hadn’t admittedly felt this equal with a white man ever, but Wade was already treating him with the same respect that Justin was sure he must’ve shown the Mayor of the town. Justin was shown the downstairs offices, the kitchen area, the outhouses (for outlay’s sake more than anything) and then given a quick run-down of which rooms were on which floor of the saloon. Justin did his best to file away the information, but Wade laughed lightly and placed a hand on his shoulder, assuring him that if he got a little confused at first that was fine. “Chances are ya ain’t gonna need to go on up to any of the bedrooms, Justin, because that’s what the chamber-maids are for.” Justin had to admit he was relieved about that… he couldn’t even go into David and Jennifer’s bedroom when they asked him for some reason.

In the bar, Justin noticed that the two men at the table were halfway through eating, and that the slighter-built one of the two seemed somewhat tense, for reasons that he obviously wouldn’t know—somehow he doubted that it was the food they were eating. As soon as he noticed that Wade was about to speak to him again though he immediately focused his attention upon the man. It wasn’t a hardship he would admit, because the man was damned attractive as well as very pleasant upon his ears; that melodic English accent, with just the faintest lilt of America creeping in to it.

Wade tried hard not to blush as he noticed that Justin was giving him undivided attention. He wasn’t used to being focused on like this, and when he met Justin’s beautiful dark hues with his own he found himself going embarrassedly blank-minded. Figuring that he best round things off before he caused himself undue embarrassment Wade then amended, “So, overall, you pretty much just gotta serve the drinks, or place the order in fer someone’s food. If ya get any trouble, and I mean any trouble, then just come an’ fetch me. If I ain’t about then I’ll be in my office, alright?”

Though the information was somewhat overwhelming for him on the initial realisation, Justin was reassured when Wade promised that he wouldn’t be too hard on him if he wasn’t perfect right off the mark. In truth though, Justin felt that he would be able to adjust to this manner of working than he had been in the white man’s house in his childhood. The officer that they had been working for wasn’t shy about hitting his mother before him, and he’d never been shy about giving Justin a going-over with his cane if he felt it necessary. The cane was actually one of the less painful methods the man had used on him actually, it getting worse the older he got… especially when Justin had caught the man attempting to make liberties upon one of the young African women in the house, and had told him exactly what he thought about it. Relations between black and white were strictly penalised and Justin thought it was a disgusting double-standard how the African person was always the one who was in trouble regardless of what they were subjected to by a white person. Not all African people were blameless, he supposed, but the white folk had the law behind them regardless of where the blame lay.

The emotions that had been flickering over Justin’s face Wade had to admit he hoped didn’t apply to him, because they were not good emotions at all. “Um, Justin?” he asked gently.

The younger man jumped, giving a soft ‘cuss’ in his native tongue, biting his lip again, “My sincerest apologies, Wade, I didn’t mean to let myself get so… dissected.”

Wade couldn’t help but chuckle; Justin’s adopted manner of English was both formal and yet casual, denoting he had been around many speakers, and the mix-up of word was also cute. Without wanting to cause offence, much like Justin when he had been correcting Wade’s pronunciation, Wade said softly, “Distracted, Justin. Dissected is whatcha do to an animal.”

Justin looked confused, but then quietly repeated the correct word before filing it away for future notice, “Thank you, Wade.” He hoped he didn’t mess up often.

“So,” Wade said, leaning against the bar, trying not to sound pleading, hopeful, and admittedly somewhat seductive, as he looked across to the young African man, “Do ya think you’d maybe like t’come an’ work here?”

Justin nodded his head immediately, smiling brightly, revealing very white teeth, “I’d be very pleased to work here, Wade, if you will have me.”

Even though Wade kept the thought to himself, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty as the little thought of Oh, I’ll have you alright, popped into his mind when Justin spoke. Justin would probably run screaming from the saloon if he knew what Wade was thinking, arranging to have him strung up for being ‘a filthy homosexual.’

“If ya come aroun’ early tomorrow mornin’,” Wade thought, tapping his chin with his finger, arms crossed over his chest (and Justin couldn’t help but notice the way the man’s arm muscles pressed against his shirt sleeves admirably, his hands almost itching to run over those arms) looking to Justin, “Then ya can work with me to start off with, since it’d be a bit off for me t’throw ya in the lions’ den first time aroun’,” Justin laughed, but then looked awkward, suddenly nervous, as though he was suddenly unsure whether Wade was joking or not. Wade gave Justin’s shoulder another squeeze and small shake, “I’m kiddin’ ya Justin, I swear it; there’s on’y a few bad apples in this town,” he said.

“I trust you,” Justin nodded, looking around the bar absently. He then paused, realising that the saloon was empty. The two men who had been eating had apparently left in the time Wade had been showing him around. Wade didn’t seem to notice Justin’s attention wandering, or if he did he didn’t find it off. “I’ll come over tomorrow, after I’ve helped Jennifer open up her shop.” He always hoped Jennifer open up shop, after they had tended to breakfast and all.

“That’s not a problem,” Wade assured, “If I ain’t in here then one of the waitresses will be. I’ll introduce you to them t’morrow too, ‘cause most of ‘em’ll be at home now.” He didn’t like the girls working too late, even if they only lived a few minutes away. He only tended to use the attached ladies, because their husbands were always there to keep an eye on them.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: An Unwelcome Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Randy and his boys head off for dinner with the Morrisons whilst John's curiosity gets the best of him and he goes to see Hunter about his proposition. However, not everyone is happy about his decision... And Ted lets slip this information to a very unhappy Viper.

There was something in John’s eyes that made Ted really uneasy; curiosity was a powerful thing, as he knew full-well from the time Brett had been a child and gotten just a little too curious about going near the ravine by the edge of town. Had he and Michael not known he liked to play there then they might never have found Brett, and just as easily as he escaped without any kind of injury he could have broken bones, or even broken his neck. Curiosity was a hard thing to resist and Ted doubted that just telling John that he shouldn’t go wasn’t going to be enough. They finished their drinks and then John sighed, reclining back in his chair somewhat, fingers tapping restlessly on the table. Despite himself Ted yawned; after the love-making he had indulged in with Cody they hadn’t really had chance to just relax and indulge in their afterglow, and suddenly he was feeling very tired. He knew he couldn’t really sleep though because Cody had pretty much wanted them to spend the night together. He tried to smother out some of the yawns that wanted out, having a bit more of the soft drinks to try and keep himself going some more.

“Fancy getting something t’eat?” John asked casually. He was hungry, and, well, since it was meal time it was probably going to be rude to turn up at the home of Hunter. Ok, yes, he was going, and yes he was more than aware of the factor that it wasn’t the best idea, but he knew he’d never be able to make his peace with the idea if he didn’t at lease see. Chances were he wasn’t actually going to do what Hunter wanted, but at least he’d be able to get it out of mind.

Exhaling a breath, Ted nodded, “Yeah, sure, some food’ll be good.” He was absolutely starving now he thought about it. Again, after what had happened earlier, that was unsurprising.

John got up, heading to the bar. Since their chat yesterday he had gotten to know Wade a bit better—first name basis better anyway, “Afternoon, Wade,” he greeted, Wade topping their drinks up as he returned the greeting.

“Everythin’ alright before, John?” he asked.

John was momentarily confused before he understood that the man meant about Randy and the others, “Oh, yeah yeah, no worries,” he assured, then asking, “Do you have a menu Ted ‘n’ I could have a look at?”

Nodding his dark head Wade picked up two of the fancy menus and then gave John a pretend serious look. Or, John assumed it was a pretend look. “Don’t be puttin’ yer drinks on them, Cena—bloody woman who does ‘em’s so annoyin’ that I don’t like going there any more’n I need to.”

Tipping his hat to Wade with a tip of his head, John then amusedly asked, “What’s the woman’s name?” he’d make a mental note to avoid her shop in the street.

“Victoria Guerrero,” Wade’s lip curled, “Her husband died not too long ago after a ridin’ accident and her little boytoy moved in.” Now, Wade wasn’t usually one for gossiping of bad-mouthing (in the sense of actively participating, a bartender being the one people usually talked to) but when it came to Mrs Guerrero he really found it hard to bite his tongue… something that amused John no end. He was trying not to laugh, but even more so when Wade seemed to realise what he had said and he coloured a little bit in the face, looking rather young indeed.

Heading back to Ted after bidding Wade goodbye, he and Ted then perused the menu before Ted went up this time to place the order. Wade passed them through to his chef and then returned behind the bar. As Ted and John sipped their drinks Ted asked, “So, will you be goin’ through to see Randy tonight?” it wasn’t that he was trying to kick John out of the room… alright, he was rather trying to see if he was leaving the room, but only because if something happened he’d much rather not have an audience, and he didn’t think it’d be much fun for John either.

However, to his surprise, the man barely reacted to the sentiment; he didn’t so much as blush, and usually just mentioning Randy even subtly had the man red in the cheeks. It actually had Ted feeling uneasy to see the casual shrug and hear the unconcerned, “Maybe,” that left the elder man. Before he could comment though their meals were being put in front of them and John was all smiles and charming to their waitress. For once though, this one was just friendly and not flirty.

The food was good, but John barely tasted it. His mind was focused on what was going to happen that evening, when he went to Hunter’s home. Maybe he’d have less of a bad feeling if Shawn wasn’t there… Hunter had made him wary, but it was Shawn that had him getting prickles over his skin, goosebumps of unease appearing over him even though there was no wind or chill to result in the reaction. Running a hand over his hair when he had finished, John let out a deep and contented sigh, stretching out, “That was damn good, my compliment’s t’yeh’re chef,” he said when the waitress came back. She smiled, clearly pleased. “My husband’ll be pleased t’hear that.”

On that note John stood up, placing his hat on his head, casual as you please, “I think Imma go fer a little walk, let m’meal settle, y’know? I’ll let ya know if I am comin’ back t’the room, I won’t just walk in, alrigh’?” the brunette was out of the saloon before the blonde could react, Ted gaping after John. The sense of foreboding that had come over him as soon as he had heard John had met with those men, and he suddenly wished that Cody and his friends were there.

~:~

“Randy, Randy, will ya give it a rest already?” Evan sighed as they made their way towards the Morrison’s home, Randy all but stalking down the road towards Melina’s home. The woman would scent that something was off immediately, and Evan really disliked when she levelled her ‘teacher look’ at them, because it did make him feel like some little school-boy again. Looking to Cody for some sort of support, Evan almost dropped to the ground in frustration; the other had that expression back again, looking significantly not ‘bad’ and more ‘love-struck’—something that would destroy his outlaw rep in a moment if anyone else could see it. He’d been looking like that almost as soon as they had left Mr Smith behind, and he seemed in no hurry to change himself. Heck, if he’d thought he’d been bad then he tipped his hat to Cody, really, because the other had beaten him there.

Randy, however, as usual, gave him a strained bland look, attempting to feign ignorance, “I don’ know whatcha mean, Evan.”

“Look, Rand, jus’ put it outta yer mind righ’ now, alrigh’? John’s too much of a nice guy t’go in fer anythin’ untoward, and I think he got the message that there’s somethin’ not quite right abou’ Hunter ‘n’ Shawn.

The eldest from the trio’s expression darkened further and Evan knew he’d hit the bull in the eye; Randy didn’t want John going near either of those men, and he was also probably struggling with the fact that someone had challenged his authority. Randy didn’t look convinced but it wasn’t exactly something they could sort out right now—they had reached the Morrison home. Knocking on the door and placing his best smile Evan then reached his hand up and knocked on the door. It opened not moments later, a frazzled looking John opened the door. “Afternoon, John,” he greeted politely. The man nodded, giving a small smile, a gurgling baby held in his arms.

“This your newest?” Evan asked as the man stepped back to let them in, though there was an uncomfortable pause, as though he knew that they had been invited there, but that he had no intention of letting them in regardless.

“Yes,” John nodded, “This is Annabelle,” proudly proffering the child, albeit carefully, and with extreme pride.

“She’s mighty purdy,” Cody complimented and John beamed, seeming to sweeten up to them somewhat even though he eyed Randy uneasily now and again. “Definitely gonna break some hearts when she gets older—just like her ma!”

John had been about to rebuke the statement, surprised by the somewhat inappropriate comment coming from Cody (usually Randy did that) when he realised that his wife had just appeared from the kitchen and that was why he said it. “Still a cheeky boy then, Cody?” she called, bustling over to hug all three men in a motherly fashion before chiding everyone into the dining room. Two small tables dominated a good part of the room, one obviously for the children and one for the parents.

John was still holding baby Annabelle, and when the three boys running around saw the three men they all seemed awestruck, “Wow…” said the one who was obviously the oldest, “You’re huge!”

He addressed Randy, the outlaw giving a friendly grin and kneeling down, “What’s yer name, son?” he asked him.

“Andy,” the boy responded, wincing and pouting at Melina when she overrode him with, “Andrew.”

At the same time. Randy chuckled lowly, ruffling the boy’s hair, “If yeh eat all your ma’s cookin’ then yeh’re gonna be as big as I am when yah get older.”

Andrew’s eyes seemed to grow in awe, whereas one of the other boys was playing with Cody’s hat, the outlaw having given it, and the final boy, the second youngest it seemed, was looking at Evan, curious. Evan, blushing slightly under the scrutiny, made to step backwards—and almost landed on his arse when he tripped on a toy, but his amazing reflexes and flexibility kicked in and he all but rolled through the motion. “Oh my, Evan I’m so sorry!” Melina fussed, “Frederick, what have I told you about leaving your toys around, boy?” she chided the child who had been staring at Evan with awe. The boy seemed to droop, wilt under his mother’s scolding, and Evan felt his heart squeeze at the cute picture.

“He ain’t done me no harm, Melina, it’s alrigh’,” Evan assured, grinning at the child, and receiving a sunny, gap-toothed smile in return. Rolling her eyes with fond exasperation Melina returned to the food that she was preparing, beginning to serve up for them all.

John then indicated the boy with Cody’s hat, “This is Jacob,” he added on, noticing that the child hadn’t been introduced. Randy, wanting to make some peace before the children, since John still seemed tense, repeated the earlier sentiment that they had beautiful kids. And, they did, none of that was a lie. Soon, the children had been banished to their table, and the adults had managed to assemble comfortably around the other.

John said grace for them all, and although Randy knew he and his friends were somewhat sceptical when it came to God, they all bowed their heads respectfully. Evan noticed Cody trying to steal a bit of corn as the blessing was said and kicked him underneath the table, Jacob curiously inquiring from the children’s table as to whether Cody was Ok. Cody gave a genuine if thin smile, assuring the boy he was and that he had just banged his knee. Melina eyed the three men, shaking her head, “I swear you three’re worse than our boys, and your all so much older than ‘em!” Randy, Cody and Evan, all let their mouths drop open before pouting; unsurprisingly, after all their time together and how much they depended on one another, they were rather in sync indeed.

The meal was very pleasant and comfortable, giving the three men the home situation that they wanted, needed, and had missed out on when they had been children themselves. John and Melina took care of the dishes, though the three men did offer to help. When Melina brought out a pie for dessert, Evan sent her a pleading playful look and asked, “Do ya think yeh’ve got room fer one more, here, Melina?” she laughed, reaching and ruffling his hair, telling him that all of them would always be welcome there. John looked minutely unhappy about it, but he didn’t comment, and they all pretended to not notice it. When they finished dessert they remained chatting together before a little longer, spending time together with the woman and her family, helping with the children even… even the big bad outlaws had their soft sides when it came to children; that was one of the reasons why Randy had always been so determined, definitive, that they never hurt children, or people who were with children. They had all had bad childhood, but that would be a whole ‘nother type of bad.

“Ya’ll need t’come back and see us the next time yer in town, ya got me?” Melina obviously didn’t know about their wanted posters, or if she did she obviously didn’t know how bad it had become on that sense.

“We will, as soon as we next can,” Randy promised, Melina and John in the doorway now, all the children having been banished to go and get themselves ready for bed, even though Randy could see three faces peeking through the bars of the staircase railing, looking down at them and waving. They waved back, and Melina turned around, seeing them all rushing off in a pounding flurry of footsteps.

“Ya’ll better run!” she called a playful threat, “Your daddy will be up there soon!” John nodded, shaking hands with each man politely… though Cody and Evan noticed he seemed to try and grip Randy’s hand a little tighter than usual to do so. Melina caught the gazes of the younger two men and winked before shaking her head and rolling her eyes; ah, it seemed she was more than aware of the atmosphere between her husband and Randy, not looking too worried either.

Before too long the trio were heading back down the road, the sky having gone darker in the time it had taken them to have their dinner and dessert. They made their way towards Wade’s saloon, completely subconsciously of course, though Cody was somewhat leading the way. He wasn’t going to let himself be dissuaded because he wanted to see Ted, especially after earlier. Fuck, if he had thought leaving Ted was going to be hard before, it was going to be even harder now. However, as they got there, Cody’s smile slid—Ted was outside of the door as though he was waiting for something… or someone. Cody felt an irrational jealousy despite himself.

As casually, but quickly as possible, to come level with the man, “Evenin’,” he greeted casually, Ted jumping slightly, looking adorably uneasy, but then he realised who it was and he grinned brightly, beautifully, but then forced himself to calm down, realising that was definitely not typical for a man to greet another like that. “How you doin’, Mr Smith?” he asked innocently, “Somethin’ up?” the ravenette’s two companions settled back casually, pretending they weren’t listening in to every word.

“John went out fer a walk after we had some dinner,” Ted’s eyes flickered to Randy, teeth gripping at his lower-lip suddenly, looking almost as though he was going to tear through the gentle skin there (Cody having to resist the urge to pull the appendage gently out of danger) before he mumbled, “Um, but that was over an hour ago now, and he hasn’t come back… I think he’s gone to—“

Cody leant in, “You think he’s what?” Ted had gone so quiet that he could barely hear him.

“He’s gone to that Hunter’s house—“ Ted mumbled, but Cody knew Randy had heard, because he could see the other stiffen out of his peripheral vision. Evan, by contrast, had apparently not heard, because he was casually still looking skyward to the very-close-to dying sun. Soon he’d be back in Chris’ arms and in Chris’ bed, and he couldn’t wait.

The first clue that Evan had that something wasn’t right that his plans were probably going to be scuppered, was when Randy was all but bolting up the street towards the edge of town, “Randy!” Evan hissed, “Randy, no!” before he gave chase. Cody and Ted exchanged looks before following.

~:~

Chris strolled around the corner bare minutes after Randy had sped off, Evan and Cody in hot pursuit and had he seen that, the course of his evening might have been different. As it was he merely went into the saloon, which had gotten much busier since the sun had started to set and people were ending their work day but was still rather quiet after the previous evening’s festivities. He raised his hand in greeting to a couple of people who hailed him, but he didn’t have the time to dawdle that night. He stopped by in the bar every night before he went home, usually for a single beer although on occasions he had been known to put away more. He didn’t want to change his routine and arouse suspicion; that was asking for trouble when he was going to have Evan’s company later – and if Evan found him missing, Chris had no doubt at all that the man would find his way into the house without his presence. He’d probably go home to find the outlaw reclining on his sofa eating whatever meal Maria had left heating on the stove for him. His mind kept on adding that given Evan’s mischievous streak, he’d probably find him naked save for his boots and hat and that consideration, although supposed to be amusing, actually made him want to skip his evening drink altogether.

He had another motive for stopping by though; Wade seemed to know an awful lot that happened in the town. People were understandably careful what they said to Chris but they did like to gossip and alcohol made them do it more frequently and Wade overheard much of what was said, even though he rarely repeated it. Not only that, strangers in town tended to eat or lodge at the saloons and if they were going to be trouble, there were usually signs. Chris considered his evening drink a part of his job, making sure things were running smoothly. Of course Wade didn’t know everything that was going down, but he knew enough. Sometimes before he had any business knowing it. Even when the town was as quiet as the grave it was named for, it wasn’t exactly a hardship talking to Wade, Chris got on with the Englishman pretty well.

“Hey Chris,” said Wade, grabbing a bottle of the beer that Chris liked from the bar and opening it before putting it in front of him.

“Evenin’ Wade.” Chris took a swig of his beer, noticing that he knew everyone in the bar that night, no sign of any strangers. “How’s things been?”

Wade knew damn well what Chris was fishing for after all this time and didn’t beat around the bush. “Well, seems your guys stayin’ at the Burchill place know the two stayin’ here.”

Chris raised his eyebrows, trying not to show the sudden territoriality he was feeling. “Yeah? What makes you think that?”

“One of ‘em was up there earlier, visitin’ with Mr Smith. No chaperone. Stayed a while.” Wade’s voice was neutral, he didn’t care even slightly about the goings-on behind closed doors and he knew Chris didn’t either, but if gossip leaked then there could be trouble and Chris deserved some warning. Chris was looking at him slightly oddly and so Wade elaborated. “Cody, I hear he’s called. While he was up there, Miss Layla came in to ask if he was stayin’ but I told her no.”

“That’s wise,” said Chris, an image of Layla springing to his mind a moment. “You tell her they was at the Burchill’s?”

“Nah, and I don’t see ‘er askin’ Miss Katie-Lea,” said Wade with a slight smirk that Chris shared; the ladies could be civil to each other but when it came to single men in town, Katie-Lea could be ruthless. “She was gone by the time they came down. Met up with the other two and that Cena fella, all havin’ drinks together. The three went off and my guests had dinner together. That Cena took off a while back, Smith, he was just sittin’ out on the front awhile.”

“Not there now.”

“Guess he went for a walk or somethin’.” Wade gave a supremely nonchalant shrug.

“Yeah.” Chris took another drink, considering. Well, Cody had as good as said that the two were in hot pursuit of them – and the implication had been that it wasn’t to take them to jail. This could be a good thing for him, if Evan were staying longer. “Anythin’ excitin’ goin’ on in town?”

“Usual crap. ‘Bout half the town’s sick—“

“That’ll be the shitty beer ya serve in here.”

Wade gave him a two-fingered salute and continued. “Ain’t the quality, it’s the quantity and I’ve seen you have a couple too many in yer time. Anyone’s real sick, it’s probably from the Burchill place. And I got a new member of staff.”

“I thought you were waitin’ on me talkin’ to the Gabriel fella?”

“Talked to ‘im myself,” said Wade, rather smugly.

“Well, you keep yer hands to yerself behind this bar...” The look on Wade’s face at the thought of sneakily groping Justin while he served made Chris chuckle and he drained the beer. “I gotta go. Say, did Ryder win some card game or somethin’? Don’t usually see him here before payday.”

Wade took a glance to the man sitting in a group in the corner. “Nah, he’s gone up in the world, y’didn’t hear? He’s a gaaaardener now.”

“Who the hell’s got a garden ‘round here that needs a fella mindin’ it full time?”

“Take a wild guess,” replied Wade, rolling his eyes. “Mrs Hunter offered him more than he gets now and I bet the work’s easier.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” said Chris absently, eying Ryder thoughtfully. “So who’s Miss James gettin’ ta replace him?”

“There’s enough young men in town who’d be happy enough to take that job,” replied Wade. “Might be hard goin’ ‘til she gets someone though.”

“Guess it will,” returned Chris, rather distractedly; why was it that every time he heard either Hunter’s or Mickie’s names lately it sounded like some kind of trouble? But maybe he was reading too much into it – there was nothing going on there but vague and uneasy coincidences he was sure. And surely the issue would wait until morning... when there was still nothing solid for him to figure out what was happening.

“I’ll see ya later Wade,” said Chris, leaving the bottle on the counter.

“That was quick,” said Wade, not entirely surprised outwardly but making a valid point, Chris usually lingered at least a little longer.

“I’m real tired,” answered Chris, although he looked like he might be fighting a smile. “Just can’t seem to wait to get to bed. Speak to ya tomorrow.”

~:~

John was starting to wish that his curiosity hadn’t gotten the better of him as he sat in one of the grand chairs in the Helmsley parlour – he’d been in Ted’s house and that had been the largest and most opulent he’d been in, until that moment. Hunter’s house was perhaps a little smaller, Ted’s had been a sprawling and relatively old place that had been added to over the years while Hunter’s was a newer building erected just for them by all accounts, but the interior advertised money far more obviously than the DiBiase home. There was another difference too, something that John took a while to put his finger on; for all the trappings of wealth in Ted’s house it was also a place where people clearly lived, where they made themselves comfortable and spent time as a family. The Helmsley place felt a lot less welcoming, the focus on appearances to the outsider rather than the comfort of the residents.

Shawn was there already when he arrived, not that John was surprised. He’d had friends when he was sheriff of course, but he couldn’t say that he would have chosen a man like Helmsley to associate with, yet Shawn seemed very much privy to whatever Hunter had to say. John didn’t like that one bit. For better or worse, Shawn represented the law in Bone Orchard and while it didn’t seem an especially violent place to live there was no use in a sheriff who was out for his own interests. It made him wonder just what their interest in him was.

And why had he gone there? It wasn’t just curiosity, not by a long shot – he was interested sure, but Hunter had said already there was no big rush and he might have done some more asking around and gone the next night. But it wasn’t that which had driven him there that night, it was the same person that had been driving his moves since he had woken up alive after being shot. Randy Orton. Randy had explicitly told him not to go and that rankled with John, he might be sleeping with the outlaw but he was no man’s bitch and he certainly wasn’t used to being told what to do. Especially when it involved being told what to do for his own protection.

Hunter poured them both brandy, using fancy glasses and adding a generous amount. The blonde made a show of swishing the liquid in his glass, while John merely took a sip, having no intention of getting blasted. He had the feeling that leaving himself vulnerable in any way at all would be a mistake. The brandy was shockingly good, John had the feeling that it had not come from Wade’s bar even if the drinks on sale there were decent enough.

“I’m glad you came, John,” said Hunter with a somewhat cold smile. “We wanted to talk with you – well. Because you used to be the sheriff of some other town and there’s some issues goin’ on around here that we’re not convinced are wholly within the law of the country.”

John looked over at Shawn. “Ain’t it your job to do somethin’ about that sorta thing?”

Shawn chuckled. He’d removed his hat and John could see that his hair was thinning in spite of its length, he had to be in his forties but his demeanour put John in mind of a much younger man, a good-natured tearaway. And yet, there was something else there that made John wonder if that was an act, if there was something more going on... or he could be reading too much into things. “The trouble with that John, is that I’ve got no one ta go to ‘bout all this,” he said, sounding more rueful than angry. “The mayor’s my boss and I got reason to believe he’s playin’ at somethin’ that ain’t in his power ta do.”

“Mayor Jericho?” John had barely met the man, but he hadn’t felt like he was some crooked politician lining his own pockets – then again, one meeting was hardly going to make him a good judge of that. But there was Randy, back in his thoughts again. Randy had spoken highly of the man, seemed to hold him in some regard. Not to mention that John suspected Evan was sleeping with him and he knew damned well that although Randy might have been fine with that as a one-time thing, it was unlikely he’d have them return there as a place of safety with someone who could potentially compromise them getting a little too close.

“Mayor Jericho.” Hunter lay against one of the chairs, his entire body language broadcasting that he was the overseer of the whole house, but he didn’t look overly happy, almost brooding.

“Folk around here seem ta think he’s an alright guy,” ventured John.

“Folk around here ain’t the brightest in the world and Chris had a helluva good play to win their trust,” returned Shawn.

Hunter glanced over at the sheriff, then back at John. “We moved to Bone Orchard a short time ago, but we’ve noticed some troubling things. We think Chris manipulates the laws made in Washington to suit his own ends. Somethin’ doesn’t suit him, he changes it. He gets words from the President and changes them so that it suits him better.”

John shook his head. “I don’t get you.”

“There’s a farm in town, man who owns it dies, got no sons. Chris lets a girl run the place and you know women can’t own property. He knows it too, so he does some legal manoeuvrin’ so that he owns it and she acts like she does. Gets around the segregation laws with some crap about businesses bein’ a man’s property and them bein’ invited. That kinda nonsense, underminin’ the law ta suit what he wants.”

John shrugged. “Well, it’s the law but it ain’t the kinda thing the sheriff gets involved with. My advice, if y’wanna take up issues like those, y’might wanna do it in a town meetin’. I take it you have those?”

“Once a month,” returned Shawn dryly. “Chris chairs ‘em and I swear the folks ‘round here think he can do no wrong. Put this in front of ‘em, he’ll have the whole town fooled with his brand o’ bullshit. That’s what politicians do.”

“Well...” John shrugged. “Honestly gentlemen—“ And that last word almost stuck in his throat. “Sounds ta me like it’s yer best bet. Ain’t no other way of doin’ things. But does it matter if a woman or a man runs the farm, or if coloureds and whites are sharin’ saloon space?”

Hunter and Shawn shared a slightly exasperated look, as if John wasn’t reacting as they’d hoped, then Shawn got up. “I gotta use the outhouse. Be right back.” He strolled from the room, clearly knowing exactly where he was going – although John wasn’t convinced the outhouse was his destination.

“This isn’t about women, or coloured folk,” said Hunter, giving a smile that looked forced, although John thought he might be telling half a truth there somewhere. He thought Hunter seemed like the kind of man to treat all people the same – like they were there to be taken advantage of, and that he had some kind of rapport with the sheriff wasn’t a good thing in that case. “Can I be honest John?”

“Please,” replied John, the tone of voice suggesting that he’d rather Hunter had gotten to the point in the first place.

“I want to buy up some land in these parts and Chris is goin’ out of his way ta make it hard for me.” Hunter tried to look injured by this. “I’m more than willin’ ta pay good money for the farm I talked about – more than it’s worth. And farm work isn’t a job for a woman. She isn’t strong enough to do the work and no woman’s got a head for business. I mean, a woman runnin’ a business? They’ll be lettin’ ‘em vote next! Though I think Chris’d jump at that seein’ how it’d make his job more secure, except even he wouldn’t break the law that much. Never get away with it and he’s a sly one. If Miss James insisted she wanted to sell up he couldn’t do nothin’ about it, but you know women – sometimes they have ta be told how ta think and if that don’t work, they hafta be shown. If there was someone could persuade Miss Mickie ta quit the farm – well, she’d be better off. She’d have enough money to live off of ‘til she married and be well away from all that work, and I’d get the land I’m after.”

“Yeah?” John’s eyes had turned cold. “Well, I ain’t gonna be doin’ no persuasion on the lady. If she don’t wanna quit the farm, she ain’t gonna do it on my say-so.”

“Money don’t grow on trees, Sheriff Cena,” Hunter reminded him. “And I’d be generous to anyone who’d use a little persuasion on her – say-so or otherwise.”

John was so furious and shocked by the implications he couldn’t find the words to say it. Now he knew why Shawn had left – it wouldn’t look good if he’d been listening to what Hunter was saying when he was supposed to be the one upholding law and order. And Hunter was smart, skirting right up to the suggestion that he’d pay John to force the woman to sell but never quite saying so. If questioned, he could always say that he’d hoped John could speak with her, maybe use his travel experiences to suggest she do the same or to offer a point of view that had not yet been offered to her. But John wasn’t stupid and he knew just what Hunter was offering his money for.

“I ain’t interested Helmsley,” he growled, slamming the brandy glass to the table and standing up, not wanting another second of this. “And if you want the land, I suggest you either make the lady an offer for it and if she don’t take it, you’ll just hafta be disappointed. Or buy up another, it ain’t the only one in the town. Now I hafta be gettin’ back to my lodgin’s...” He narrowed his eyes. “And I’m gonna be suggestin’ ta the mayor that he keeps an eye on Miss Mickie.”

Hunter stood as well, trying to be imposing and pretty well succeeding – he was easily as tall as John and one of the few men he’d met that were as broad, if not even broader. “You do that, Cena,” he said in a low, angry voice. “Jericho ain’t gonna be the mayor forever.”

John didn’t care – he wasn’t going to be in town long enough to see Chris get voted out after all – and realised it was probably the only comeback that Hunter had given his words. Not waiting for Hunter to call a maid to see him out, John stalked to the door, almost running Shawn over (wasn’t the outhouse usually at the back? John was too angry to muse further on that one) as he went to the door and walked from the house without a backward glance – rude and a direct insult he supposed, but he didn’t care. The nerve of the man! Did he look like the kind of man who would menace a woman to get her out of her home, for money? Damn him!

He wished he’d brought Hustle, he could have done with the speed of a flat-out gallop back to town but he’d wanted the walk back then. Right now, he just wanted to get back. Randy would be waiting for him and when he found where John had been he’d be pissed off – but more so after John shared this sorry story with him. Randy might be an outlaw, but he had an unshakable moral code in spite of that, or maybe even because of it, telling himself that there were some depths he would never sink to... and was it weird that when there were outlaws in town, no matter what their connection to Chris, that Hunter had sounded out first Ted and then himself? Uneasily, John wondered if it was because of the timing of them all arriving, maybe he thought that himself and Ted were actually there to collect the bounty on the men...

His thoughts were rudely interrupted as he passed by some high bushes and trees at the side of the road, cast into almost total darkness by this time. A figure broke through the cover so quickly he didn’t have time to even go for his gun, reaching out and grabbing him by the shirt before yanking him closer. John made a fist, ready to attack, assuming that Hunter had somehow gotten someone in front of him – and then the little light the moon gave off showed the gleam of stormy blue eyes and he realised who had him. The Viper. With a sigh, he reached up and plucked Randy’s hands from his clothes, not angrily but deliberately to broadcast that he didn’t like being manhandled – not in these circumstances anyway.

And Randy looked just as mad as John felt, his entire body tensed and his expression angry. “Where the fuck have you been and what the fuck have you been doing?”  
“What I’ve done, or where I’ve been, ain’t exactly any concern o’ yours, is it, Viper?” John snapped as he stared into the angry stormy greys that Randy possessed. Behind Randy he could make out Ted, Cody and Evan, the three men exchanging looks as Randy seemed to draw himself up to his full height, larger than John to his consternation (actually, he was the tallest out of all the men there) but John merely squared his shoulders and straightened himself up, refusing to be cowed by him. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and Randy really didn’t have any right to be getting up in his face about his business.

“That what you think, huh?” Randy said after a few quiet moments, the man’s head suddenly turning to the side in a motion so quick that John swore he had to have hurt himself to do it, focusing on the three men behind them, “Take a hike, huh boys? Get outta here.”

For a moment it seemed as though the three wouldn’t move, but then Evan merely nodded and sent Cody a look before muttering, “Behave,” to Randy before he turned around and began heading off. Cody started to leave, but then lingered, Ted having remained in place.

Sending his concerned looking companion a small nod John said, “It’s alrigh’ Ted, I’ll be along soon.” He was merely saying that to save face though considering that he wasn’t sure that the other was even going to be in their room when he got back. Not that he minded to some degree, because he was in the same position as Ted and therefore understood how he was feeling… though right then he had to admit Randy wasn’t his most favourite person. John had always been fiercely independent and had never much like being told what to do regardless of who might have been telling him, and to have Randy treating him like this—well, it was rankling John something fierce and he was getting the strongest urge just to keep pushing Randy that little bit further in response, to really see if he could get under the man’s skin. Juvenile, sure, but he’d never pretended to be the most mature man.

Silence seemed thick and impenetrable between them as soon as the remaining two men had left, John standing a few feet away from Randy, Randy looking back at him. There wasn’t a horse to be heard nearby, so he had to assume they had all come on foot, and it wasn’t exactly a small trek. Adjusting his hat atop his head and shivering slightly as a gust of cold night air washed over him, John then folded his arms over his strong chest and asked, “What’re yeh doin’ Viper? Ya followin’ me now?”

To John’s complete surprise and shock he suddenly found himself being driven into one of the trees that Randy and the other had emerged from, his hands shooting up to try and pry Randy’s off of him once more, but it seemed that the younger man wasn’t having any of it. “What. The. Fuck. Were. You. Doin’. A’. Hunter’s. House?” Each word was barely more than a growl, punctuated by a most deliberate pause indeed, shaking John somewhat with each pause.

“Getcher hands offa me!” John hissed, squirming, angry that for once his not inconsiderable strength had all but been rendered useless here because Randy was about as strong as he was. When it became apparent that Randy wasn’t going to let up, and he considered that he didn’t want to stay there pinned against the tree (being pinned in another manner may have had him more amicable to a change of scenery, but right then he wasn’t in the mood to be considering such a thing for once) he heaved a large, angry huff of breath, eyes narrowing as he glared at Randy. “I was at the Helmsley place,” he said, noticing Randy’s expression immediately turned stone-like, “T’see what proposition he had fer me.”

Randy felt a fission of jealous fury run through his being, hands tightening in John’s shirt somewhat as he used his strong, muscular body to keep the other equally muscular man pinned down. “An’ what did the bastard want?” there was the unspoken question also, as to whether Hunter had been the only one there.

Knowing that it was somewhat childish John adopted a deliberately light and airy tone as he enunciated, “Hunter and Shawn wanted t’talk to me abou’ Chris Jericho, an’ also some business that Hunter’s been wantin’ to do in the area. What they wanted from me wasn’ anythin’ I was interested in workin’ towards and so I told Hunter that I ain’t doin’ it, an’ then I left.”

Randy’s cheek was twitching furiously and Randy knew that his calm demeanour seriously seemed to be pushing the man’s buttons. Good; it served him right for thinking that he could tell him what to do. Finally, Randy managed to ground out the words, “You were alone in that asshole’s house, an’ with Michaels there?”

John really didn’t know what it was about Shawn that rubbed Randy up the wrong way, but just seeing the eerily blank expression in the man’s eyes in conjunction with his otherwise angry face had John wondering whether he shouldn’t have been so glib. “Yeh make it sound like they were gonna do somethin’ t’me,” John scoffed dismissively, “An’ that I couldn’ protect myself if they did.”

“Wha’ did they ask ya fer, John?” Randy asked nastily, his jealousy clouding him to the issue that he probably wasn’t helping himself by being like this, and that pissing John off in turn probably wasn’t his smartest move either. “Did Hunter wantcha t’suck his cock as Shawn fucked your whore ass?”

John’s jaw dropped, eyes bulging as he choked on thin air. Where the fuck had that come from? And who the fuck was he calling a whore? John growled, beginning to thrash and writhe underneath Randy anew; when he got free he was going to crack him one so hard in the mouth he’d be spitting his teeth out for a fortnight! “Jus’ who t’fuck d’ya think yer’re talkin’ to, boy?” John snarled, “I ain’t no whore, and again, it’s non o’ yer business whether I did somethin’ like that or not if it had been what they wanted!” it wasn’t, not by a long shot, and John would probably have cracked them in their ugly faces if they had suggested such a thing.

“Yeh keep sayin’ it ain’t my business—“Randy growled, as out of breath as John from their struggles, “But it is my business. I toldja that yeh were mine, Cena, and I meant it! I don’t share my things with anyone and yeh’d do well just t’accept that!”

Just as John had opened his mouth to let out a return comment, Randy crashed their lips together. There was nothing gentle about this kiss; it was all tear and raw passion, Randy seeming to try and steal the very breath from his lungs. Vaguely John tasted a metallic bitterness in the kiss and only realised his lip had begun to bleed underneath Randy’s onslaught when the man’s tongue soothed the wound possessively. Chest’s heaving, eyes blazing, the two men stared at one another until Randy managed to use John’s shock to turn him around, forcing his hands against the tree under one of his own, “Yeh’re mine, Cena, an’ I’m gonna make sure thatcha remember it!” Randy’s mouth attached to John’s neck, hearing and feeling the rumble of the man’s moan as he began to bite and suck on his neck, his free hand yanking carelessly at John’s pants.  
It occurred to John that he could use the leverage he had now that his hands were pressed to the tree trunk, forcing his body back and shoving Randy away from him, giving him a few moments to turn and sock Randy in the jaw – no matter how tough and strong the outlaw was, that would make him think twice. The trouble with that plan was that he didn’t want to. He was slightly ashamed of the emotion but that didn’t mean he was fighting it; Randy’s mouth was at his neck, his hand had loosened John’s pants and worked its way inside to stroke roughly over his already fully erect cock, the taller man grinding into his ass to advertise exactly what he had in mind. Instead of taking Randy by surprise and shoving him off, he rubbed his ass harder against Randy, eliciting a growl from the other.

Randy hadn’t planned on any of this happening, he had been blinded by rage because John had actually defied him and the thought of Shawn and the way he had seen the man looking at John earlier infuriated him. Just considering John alone with Shawn was enough to fill his mind with unwelcome images of the two together, every one fuelling his anger further – and although he’d been possessive and jealous of lovers in the past, there had been no one at all who could make him lose all rational thought with the fear of losing them or having already lost them. But Shawn was rapidly leaving his mind, leaving only the reality of John’s body pressing back against him. Nipping at John’s neck without caring whether or not he left a mark, Randy left John’s erection alone for a moment (smirking to himself as he heard the slight whine of protest from his lover) and shoved the man’s pants and underwear down around his ankles. Should anyone come past now they might not catch sight of the two beside the road as hidden as they were, but there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t either and that would get them into a lot of trouble – not that Randy cared even slightly. There was no reason for anyone to pass this way, except possibly for Shawn on his way back from Hunter’s and Randy certainly wouldn’t mind showing that man just who John belonged to.

John hissed at the sensation of the cool night air against his suddenly naked lower half and Randy noticed that although he was pushing back against the hand that held both of his wrists, he wasn’t actively trying to get away. Randy let his hand wander over John’s hip to his ass, finding his entrance and slipping two fingers inside the other without the benefit of lubrication. John let out a sound that had some discomfort in it, but that certainly wasn’t all and instead of trying to move away from those fingers he actively impaled himself on them further. Randy found himself wishing he’d taken care of his own pants before starting this, because he was straining at the material, his erection demanding that he take John right there and then. But regardless of how angry and urgent he felt right then, hurting John in any way that the other didn’t want wasn’t on the agenda.

That didn’t mean that he released the hold on John’s wrists though. He was far too pissed at John’s defiance to ease up on the show of dominance.

He jabbed both fingers hard against John’s prostate, making the other man cry out suddenly – it was a whole different thing preparing a man hurriedly without the aid of any kind of lubrication but he didn’t want to let up and take things easy, he wanted to keep the pressure on. Not to mention that he was getting pretty anxious himself. Withdrawing his fingers almost totally, he added a third and began stretching the other further, readying John to take all of him—

“Fuck, Randy!” John turned his head, teeth clenched, eyes blazing. ”Stop pissin’ around and fuck me already!”

Randy considered denying the request just to show John who was running the show this time around, but that would have been counterproductive to his own desires. Pulling his fingers out of John he tightened his grip on the others wrists and wrapped a hand around his erection to guide himself, driving his cock into John with one swift movement. John gave a strangled cry, resting his head against his arm to stop his face being slammed into the tree as Randy stilled himself a moment, resting against John’s back as he fought to keep himself still, not only to get some control over himself but to give John a chance to adjust.

“Dammit Randy—“ John kept on telling himself that he shouldn’t be as aroused as he was by Randy’s possessive display, but no one had ever dared to act that way around him. The forcefulness Randy showed spoke to something primal inside him and it shocked him slightly that he wanted to be possessed by the other – not that he was going to give in without a fight. And there was the way that in spite of the situation Randy was still looking after him, being sure that he wasn’t actually causing him any serious pain or injury.

He’d expected Randy to take him hard and fast, but instead Randy surprised him, pressing into him slowly and keeping up the same almost lazy pace. John growled in frustration, trying to move himself so that Randy was forced to go faster but the way Randy held his wrists and had him pressed against the tree meant that he had no leverage at all. John turned his head as far as he could, able to see Randy’s face in the shadows his hat threw on it. From what he could see Randy looked serious, but there was perhaps the ghost of a smile on his face.

“Randy, fuck!” He almost screamed in frustration; Randy was going deep but far too slowly for him to get what he needed and deliberately missing going anywhere near his prostate – something he knew was on purpose, Randy had something else in mind here and he wished the other would reveal what it was so that they could get on with it. His erection pressed against his stomach, sadly neglected and there was nothing he could do about it since Randy was holding onto his wrists.

Randy’s free hand slipped from his hips to his balls and John found himself willing the other to do something, breaking the maddening slowness he seemed to have chosen and take him roughly, as the situation demanded. But Randy merely cupped his balls and leaned in to speak into his ear in the low growl that spoke to John’s libido every time. “You’re mine John.”

John remained stubbornly quiet at that. Now he was on to what Randy wanted and damned if he would give the man the satisfaction. But Randy didn’t seem happy at all to leave the comment as a mere declaration; he rolled John’s balls roughly in his hand at the same time as a hard thrust slammed him directly into John’s prostate. John gave a low cry of startled pleasure, hoping that this was when Randy stopped messing him around and screwed him right into the tree, but the taller man actually paused. Had John been able, he would have hit the man.

“I wanna hear it from you.”

“Fuck you,” growled John through gritted teeth. Randy might have been special and turned his carefully ordered way of thinking around, but there was no way he was making a confession of that kind. Not what the outlaw would ride off into the sunset without him whether he admitted it or not; Randy didn’t need to know that John was pretty much ruined for anyone else in the future.

Randy slammed into John without warning, forcing his body against the tree they were pressed against. John’s face pressed against his arm, his body crushed against the bark and it fleetingly occurred that it was probably lucky that Randy had moved his hand over his cock because otherwise he could have had splinters somewhere unpleasant. A moan tore from him, but it was a long way from pained.

And Randy, the bastard, didn’t even pull back out of him. “Tell me.” His voice was commanding, used to being obeyed and John found himself weakening. It was nothing but the truth and he wanted Randy so badly.

“Damn you Orton...”

Randy pressed still deeper into him, brushing his prostate again and John moaned, letting out a sound suspiciously like a whine of protest when Randy started pulling slowly out of him. “You don’t want him, you’re mine—“

John was so far gone he couldn’t even think of who him might refer to. All he knew was that he didn’t want Randy to end this yet. “Yours!” he shouted, his voice breaking the quiet of the evening. “I’m yours and oh fuck, I’m gonna make you pay for this Orton, gonna make you pay—“

“Lookin’ forward to it,” murmured Randy, losing all pretence at control and thrusting into John in earnest, hitting his prostate and making John forget all about payback. Randy’s hand wrapped around his cock, starting to jerk him roughly in an odd unsynchronised motion and John dug his nails into the bark, moving his hips back against Randy’s and letting loose a stream of obscenities and noises that he was helpless to stop and didn’t even want to try to.

The sound of the bark splintering underneath John’s hands barely permeated the haze of heat and animalistic grunts as well as flesh upon flesh but the part of Randy that recognised the sound knew enough to feel his masculine, dominant ego was swelling with each movement—much like his cock as it pounded in and out of John’s willing body. Damn it, John best remember this because he wasn’t kidding when he told John that he belonged to him. And, well, begrudgingly a voice in the back of his mind admitted that John wasn’t such a slave to pleasures of the flesh that he would admit to belonging to someone if he didn’t feel it deep down. The sound of his thighs slapping against John’s own body was loud, rhythmic and wholly filthy. In Randy’s mind it was pretty damn perfect, and he could feel himself getting closer to the peak. As of yet John wasn’t wholly forgiven, but Randy was sure they’d both be feeling more amenable after this.

Unawares to the two men currently pseudo-battling for dominance in the covering of the trees, another set of eyes was watching the proceedings with a greedy hunger, combined with some seriously jealous anger. Had it not been for all his time as Sheriff, Shawn probably wouldn’t have took notice of the small twig-snap he had heard just as he walked past another set of trees (there were lots of wild animals around after all, and as long as nothing bothered him he saw no reason to bother it in return) but when another sound followed immediately after, he felt his suspicion peak. Letting his hand drift to the comforting weight of his gun at his side, he then frowned softly and began to move towards the sound.

Having grown up with a family who had had much to do with hunting, and then having gained a profession which was sincerely aided by subtlety, Shawn crept through the darkness, aided by only the moon’s light. And, as it would turn out, his patience and carefulness were rewarded because it seemed that neither of them two men he was attempting to sneak up on noticed him. The sight of Orton ploughing into Cena infuriated him to some degree (his cock would do a much better job he was sure) but at the same time it was a hot picture. Vaguely he heard the sound of bark breaking from the tree and flittering uselessly to the ground and Shawn’s eyes narrowed as he focused them on the tableau of sin before him. He didn’t blame Orton, not one bit, for wanting a ride on Cena. Oh, he’d have to do his darndest to make sure he got the same opportunity.

“Fuck, Randy—“the wanton cry was choked from Cena, but Shawn heard it perfectly, the sound of skin on skin getting louder until, finally, both men seemed to suddenly freeze. Although the pause was mere seconds at most it seemed like an eternity to Shawn, who by this stage had begun palming himself through his pants. And then, just as suddenly they had stopped they were moving again, and Randy and John were both convulsing, Cena’s cum covering the tree he collapsed against and Orton’s cum no doubt filling Cena’s delicious ass. Their heavy breathing seemed lost under the breeze that rustled through the trees, but Shawn could tell they were panting like a steed who’d done several rounds on a hunt. It was only when the two men began to stir that Shawn knew he had to get out of there, because chances were if they saw him then he didn’t doubt Orton’d still find some way to get his hands on his gun, and Shawn’d be the next one the frightening Calloway brothers were preparing for the last ride.

“Ooh…” John panted weakly, his arms shaking as he used the last of his energy to keep upright, “Orton, geddoffa me—“he mumbled, needing to straighten up. It was only when he tried to though that he realised the other man was still inside of him. Hands suddenly spanned over his ribs and John swore he felt a blush coming on; he could feel the sticky warmth of his seed on Randy’s hand, now on his skin, and when Randy reluctantly disengaged himself from John’s warm body John immediately felt the younger man’s seed trickling down his thighs. God-damn but that was… so dirty.

“Don’t think this is all I’m wanting from yeh t’night, Cena,” Randy’s low voice suddenly rumbled in his ear, and the timbre of his voice sent shivers down John’s spine that he would never have wanted to acknowledge under any circumstance normally.

“Who said I was gonna give ya anymore?” John asked, unable to help some petulance in his tone because of Randy’s words, but Randy seemed un-phased.

“Yeh’re gonna give me more,” Randy said, voice deceptively light, and it wasn’t until John felt two long, strong digits pushed into his body once more, making him jolt at the flash of heat that shot through his weary, exhausted body, that he understood why.

“Fuck!” John gasped, almost not hearing Randy’s ending words of, “Because you want more,” because of the sound of his own pulse racing in his ears. Almost as soon as they were inside of him the fingers retracted, and John was mortified to hear himself fucking-well whine at the loss. Again. What was wrong with him?

“We’re gonna go back t’my room, Cena, and I’m gonna get ya t’admit who ya belong t’again, before dawn comes.” And somehow John didn’t doubt it. For the life of him he didn’t understand where Randy got off trying to own him, especially when he didn’t understand who or what exactly caused him to… panic? About the possibility of John straying from him.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan wants to make it up to Chris for running late, and in the heat of the moment something gets said-- something that opens the two men up to something they've been dancing around for so long up to then.

It was with fast strides that Evan headed along the now essentially deserted streets towards Chris’ home. The sky was well and truly dark now, and that meant that he was late. “Fuck!” he growled to himself softly, angry with Randy, and Cena, for causing him to miss precious time with Chris. When they had collared the Sheriff, he and Randy had both been livid, and he hadn’t been the only one who felt that witnessing that exchange was not something that they wanted to do; Cody had taken Ted and left, ostensibly so Cody could walk Ted back, but neither John nor Randy had barely reacted. Evan hadn’t bothered to make excuses, merely left with Cody and Ted and then split away from them. They had passed by Wade’s saloon, Evan had noticed as he rounded a corner, but to be honest he’d be lying if he said he was overly bothered about what those two were up to— Cody wouldn’t let anything happen to Ted, and he wouldn’t even contemplate putting Ted in danger in any fashion. Evan could hear his boots crunching on the dirt-ground as he ran, praying that Chris hadn’t given up on him and wouldn’t be too mad because he had a legitimate reason… and he didn’t find himself saying that often. He used a small ledge to give himself a short-cut, slowing himself subconsciously as he approached Chris’ home; being seen might rouse minor suspicion, but running towards the house would rouse more suspicion. Now, did he use the front door, or a window?

If Chris had given up on expecting him then he didn’t want to accidentally frighten the other man, so that would make the window the bad choice, but at the same time the door was just so… boring, ordinary, unspectacular and without providing a rush. He dithered mere moments though before he decided maybe plain would be a good way to show Chris that he was sorry for being so tardy. Anyone else and Evan probably wouldn’t have given two cents towards what they thought about him being late, but Chris wasn’t just anyone. He never had been just anyone. Adjusting the hat on his head Evan slipped up the steps of Chris’ porch before placing his hand on the doorknob. Gently, he eased the handle, testing it, and the door opened. There was no creaking noise and he doubted Chris had heard the door opening, so he was able to maintain some sense of surprise and playfulness at least. Well, that had been what he had thought, but before he had taken several steps before he closed the door behind him he found himself being pushed into a wall, hard, face-first, a familiar body at his back. “Who--?”

“I think ya gotta invest in some hallway lights, mayor,” Evan tried as casually as possible, though it was rather hard to talk when half of his face was currently crushed into a wall. He wasn’t being glib either; Chris didn’t have any lights in his hallway, just the rooms, and that was why he often carried a small lantern around if he had to go about at night. The hands that had been holding him eased, and Evan winced and rolled his body out before turning around. Through the small light emitting from the sitting-room Evan could make out most of Chris’ face, though it was predominantly shrouded in shadow, and the man was looking at him with a mixture of surprise, relief, and some apparent hurt, though that was apparently something he didn’t intend to have on display. Damn it! Evan cursed mentally in his mind, giving his best sweet and seductive smile, “M’sorry I’m late, somethin’ kinda happened that we had t’tek care of first… I wanted t’come right here though, so it kinda ruined my plans a bit.” Chris’ eyes narrowed slightly and Evan internally chided himself for thinking, even for a moment, that Chris would accept what he had said at face value, not wanting to know any more details about it.

Indicating towards the sitting-room with his head Chris then turned and headed into it, his cheek twitching somewhat. It had been two hours since sun-down, and about an hour ago he had completely given up that Evan was coming. He couldn’t deny the disappointment he had felt, both through the other ditching him and not even bothering to get in touch with him to tell him he wasn’t going to be showing, but he hadn’t anticipated the sheer level of hurt that had accompanied that feeling. He poured them both a small glass of juice, since he didn’t like to keep overly strong stuff in the house, and then handed one to Evan. His sitting-room floor space seemed unnaturally large now without the coffee-table there and Chris felt the momentary urge to smile as he thought about Maria’s reaction to the table being gone. His attention refocused on Evan though and the urge was gone again. Although there was part of him that didn’t want to bother fussing about why it had taken him so long to get there the other was determined to find out just what Evan had been doing.

As he sat down in his armchair Chris expected that Evan would sit on the sofa. However, that wasn’t what happened this time: Evan sat on his lap instead, almost immediately after he had settled. Surprise showed on Chris’ face and the younger man grinned somewhat to himself and pecked the man’s lips lightly, speaking against them, and feeling glad when he wasn’t pushed away. “Cody, Ted Smith and I had to make sure that Randy didn’ do somethin’ stupid to Sheriff Cena when he found out tha’ the man’d been propositioned by Hunter and Shawn Michaels.”

The sound of Hunter’s name, particularly when in connection to Shawn’s, immediately drew Chris’ attention from Evan’s lips and to the conversation at hand, expression hardening. “Why the hell would they be approaching Cena?”

Evan shrugged slightly, a gesture that was admittedly true in what it said because he and the other two men had cleared off before Randy and John could really get going. “I dunno, but I don’ think he liked wha’ they said t’him, because he was steamin’ worse than a bull at mating season when he got outta there and we came across ‘im.”

Immediately Chris made a mental note to go and see John Cena as soon as he could the following day to find out what was going on between them all; he really didn’t like the way Hunter had been mobilising himself so much lately, and he wanted all the forewarning that he could get concerning his activities. Running a hand through the blonde man’s hair, Evan took his glass off of him and set it safely with his to the side on the carpet, then bringing his mouth to Chris’ jaw and beginning to press kisses against it. “If I hadn’a been worried that Randy woulda killed Hunter or Michaels, then I wouldn’a gone, but I had to, surely ya can understand that?” he murmured, pretending he didn’t notice the slight plea coming through in his own voice.

Chris sighed softly, eyes closing as he tilted his head for Evan as he felt those talented lips moving across his skin. “Guess not,” Chris conceded, “But that don’t mean I ain’t gonna punish ya somewhat fer keepin’ me waitin’ and worryin’ about you.”

“Punish me?” Evan’s grin was rather sly and teasing, he was more than ready to drop the worry he had felt after Randy had taken off and push the whole business from his mind until the next day. “How y’gonna be doin’ that Mayor? Y’want me ta drop my pants so ya can spank my ass red? I’ll allow it, but only if ya gonna do somethin’ ta make it all better afterwards.”

Chris raised his eyebrows. “Actually Puppy, I was thinkin’ more along the lines of withholdin’ sex for the rest of the night.”

He had to bite his lip to hide his smile as Evan’s face dropped; he looked genuinely unhappy. Chris could envision him as an actual puppy in that moment, all drooping ears and tail and sorrowful eyes. “Really? Doncha think the spankin’ thing’s more appropriate? Keepin’ us young’uns in line and all that.”

Chris couldn’t stop the smile escaping, Evan seemed to have that affect on him. He might have been secretly devastated when he thought Evan really wasn’t going to show up, but the way the man always made him feel when they were together had succeeded in making him forget all of that in a hurry. “See, your naked ass gives me ideas and us old men are usually in bed by now.”

“Yeah, and you had a hard night last night.” Evan gave a wicked grin, straddling Chris’ lap in a quick movement and grinding very deliberately against him, gratified to realise that there was an obvious reaction going on there. He pressed his head against Chris’ neck, nipping playfully at the skin there. “I was gonna make up fer bein’ late tonight,” he said almost directly into Chris’ ear. “But if you really need yer beauty sleep—“

“I’m beautiful enough, I can spare it.” Chris spoke quickly and Evan chuckled, moving himself backward a little so that he could unfasten Chris’ pants and slip his hand beneath the fabric.

“You certainly are beautiful enough from where I’m sittin’ Mr Mayor,” said Evan admiringly, his attention focused on Chris’ cock but not missing the blush that the other started with. Dammit, but they needed more time together. He was hungry for Chris’ body but also for his company, his jokes and easygoing nature, his stories and observations... and he was starting to distract himself. If Randy and John really were on the outs then he would just have to be contented with what he’d had and feel glad it had happened, in the meantime he would be grateful for what he had.

Exposing Chris’ cock to the air, he ran his hand a few times over the heavy organ, noticing how he hardly had to do anything – Chris was good and ready for him. The man might be ‘old’ but he had more stamina than most. Chuckling slightly, Evan slid from Chris’ knee and stood, noticing the confusion and slight dismay on his lovers face. Holding Chris’ eyes, he threw off his jacket and deftly unbuttoned his shirt, letting it drop to the floor and starting on the rest of the clothes. The strip wasn’t intended as an erotic display as such, he merely wanted to get naked as quickly as possible, but once he was stripped he couldn’t resist doing a slow turn to give Chris a good view. Chris certainly seemed to appreciate it but he looked slightly amused even so.

“You forgot somethin’.”

“What?”

“The hat.”

“Oh.” Evan used his index finger to tilt the hat back, smirking slightly at the older man. “Yeah, I’ll keep that on. I feel kinda naked without it.”

Chris gave a snort of laughter that was cut off as Evan moved closer to him, deceptively quickly, leaning close to his face. The smaller man straddled him once more and Chris swallowed audibly as their cocks pressed against one another’s. “Ev... I’m still dressed!”

“Yeah, I always kinda fancied playin’ whore for the mayor.” Evan grinned at Chris, fingers going to work on the buttons of Chris’ shirt but leaving off when they were only half-done. “Thought about it a lot when we were travellin’” he murmured, taking Chris’ hand and drawing it to his mouth, tongue lapping a second at the tips of his fingers. “Every fuckin’ time I was alone, no company but my own right hand and thinkin’ ‘bout what the two of us could be doin’ if we were together...” He slid the digits into his mouth properly, sucking on them in a manner that was mildly obscene.

Chris could barely breathe, his eyes locked on Evan’s mouth, revelling in the way Evan’s tongue swirled around his hand. The man was a tease and Chris didn’t doubt for a second that he could affect anyone he chose to like this – why he had chosen Chris to dream of was a mystery to him but one he was damned happy about. “Down here?”

“Between the two of us, we’re gonna break every stick o’ furniture you got in here.” Evan’s dark eyes fixed on Chris’ blue ones, sparkling with mischief as he wriggled slightly on Chris’ knee and revelling in the moan the older man gave. “Try not ta throw yer back out.”

“Keep up the age jokes boy and you really will be gettin’ that spankin’ you were so anxious for—“ Chris almost forgot what he’d been saying as Evan took his fingers into his mouth again. Evan was the biggest temptation he’d ever faced and he was completely powerless to say no or fight the attraction and he didn’t care at all in that moment if he’d have to pay the price for it later.

Letting his fingers be eased from Evan’s mouth a final time Chris bit his lip slightly as Evan’s eyes locked on his; underneath the brim of his hat the tempting minx upon his lap looked oh-so-very wicked, and Chris’ cock pulsed in response to the pleasurable visual stimulation. Shifting forward atop his knees as much as he was able atop Chris’ lap on the chair, Evan then brought Chris’ hand around to his entrance. Seeing the way Chris seemed fixated to the spot Evan ducked his head and nipped Chris’ earlobe lightly, “I know yeh’re gettin’ old, Chris, but surely ya remember what yeh’re supposed t’—oh, fuck!” Chris’ index finger had breached him when he spoke, resulting in Evan being the one biting his lip and dazed this time around as Chris smirked like the cat that had gotten the cream.

“You were sayin’, Evan?” the Canadian asked innocently, feeling Evan’s muscles slowly beginning to ease up enough for him to consider adding a second finger. He had the sudden thought that he should maybe buy some more of that lubricant he had to position some in each room of his house; but the thought was immediately dispelled when he realised that Evan wasn’t going to be there enough for that to be a worthwhile investment. Actually, once they had left, he had no idea when he was going to see Evan again. If he saw Evan again. Forcing those thoughts from his mind Chris then eased a second finger into the welcoming, tight heat of the young nubile male atop his lap. A low breathy moan left Evan’s mouth, head tipping back, and Chris truly thought he never believed any mere mortal could be so beautiful.

Scissoring the fingers inside Evan, Chris’ voice came out husky, a borderline growl as he commanded lightly, “Kiss me, Evan.” Much like the rest of the young man, be it his body or his sharp wit and cheeky tongue, Chris couldn’t get enough of simply touching him or kissing him. If Evan suddenly stopped and said he didn’t want them to do anything more sexual then he wouldn’t deny that he was disappointed but then he also knew as long as he got to go to bed with Evan in his arms then that was fine.

By the time Chris inserted a third finger inside of Evan the young man was fairly riding them with zeal and desire, cheeks flushed and hat askew, in danger of falling. “I tell ya, Evan, ya gotta be the most beautiful whore I ever laid eyes on,” he teased.

A husky moaning chuckle left Evan, trying to push Chris’ fingers deeper into his body to get the friction he craved, as well as trying to get Chris to find his spot—something he could tell the mayor was deliberately avoiding. “The best whore as well?” he asked, joking and carrying on with their playful banter, and also because he sincerely doubted that Chris was the whore-house frequenting type.

For a moment Chris pretended to think about it, but then when Evan gave a soft growl he corkscrewed his fingers just right and turned the sound into a breathy cry of passion instead, licking up the length of Evan’s neck as he tossed his head back, hat being gripped and held securely by the hand that wasn’t using Chris’ shoulder to keep balanced. “Y’are,” Chris assured him, “No one’s ever come anywhere close t’matching you,” he assured as Evan’s cry tapered off.

“Now, Chris,” Evan suddenly moaned, “I need ya now!”

Shamefully, Chris didn’t need telling twice; he eased his fingers out of Evan and immediately braced a hand around himself, pumping a few times to smear the copious amounts of pre-cum he had accumulated down the length of his aching, throbbing shaft. Shifting backwards just so, Evan then held still as he awaited Chris to let him know when he was ready. Feeling the swollen, mushroom-shaped cap of Chris’ length pressing against him after a few more moments he then began to press himself downwards, tandem moans of bliss leaving then as Evan began to sink down onto the blonde man. The sensation he felt as their bodies slowly but surely became completely joined was enough to make warmth spread from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes; he knew no one else would ever make him feel the way that Chris did. In fact, he wanted to be with the blonde man so much that he had even found himself cursing that he was born male once or twice—if he’d been female then he and Chris wouldn’t have to sneak around at least.

As soon as his buttocks touched down on Chris’ thighs Evan was immediately pulling himself back up again and sinking down. Though he was tempted just to throw all propriety out of the window and ride Chris hard and relentlessly until they were both satisfied, he forced himself to go slowly in his motions. Up and down he went; thighs and legs working to move him, aided by Chris’ supporting hands cupping his buttocks.

He felt Chris beginning to part his buttocks somewhat and Evan moaned, head lolling forward, forehead resting on Chris’ and hat being knocked back slightly because of it. “Chris, fuck, could stay like this forever—“ Evan moaned, momentarily wishing he could see what they looked like to an outsider, Evan naked save for his hat and Chris barely unclothed, the ravenette riding the blonde as though it was merely his purpose in life to do such a thing.

The words Chris found himself groaning in response though were not intended to be heard aloud, “Then stay with me.”

Evan almost froze at Chris’ words. In that moment he could have agreed, wanted nothing more than to tell Chris that he would stay right there in Bone Orchard and sneak through the window every single night. But even feeling the way he did, he knew it wasn’t possible. He was a wanted man and as much as he would like to stay, he would be bringing the worst kind of trouble on Chris’ head. They could get away with it for a few days, but forever? Unlikely. The arguments were lined in his head, the same ones that he had gone through over and over to himself when he had been wishing for that same thing – but with Chris inside him, it was hardly the time or the place to go over his reasons for refusing. Not to mention that when he tried, his feelings were just too strong; he couldn’t give voice to it. Instead he leaned in to nip at the skin of Chris’ neck, using the action as an excuse not to meet his eyes or have to say a word.

It had probably been some heat of the moment utterance anyway. He was just some outlaw drifter after all, good enough to fuck but hardly the type one someone like Chris could be seen to be associated with, sexually or otherwise. He was conflicted and the feeling made him almost angry in spite of the steady thrum of pleasure that Chris was giving him at that moment. Suddenly deciding that the slower pace was the thing addling his mind he started to move faster over Chris, holding on to the man’s shoulders and moving his head back so he could look into his lovers face. Chris was so clearly into the moment, eyes clouded with lust and lips parted to release the stream of moans that filled the air. Evan started to wonder if he’d heard the words at all or if they had been a product of his own heated imagination. He’d been so desperate and yet afraid to hear them since the moment he arrived, but somehow thinking it might not have been real made it worse.

Chris seemed to sense the sudden change in his mood because he frowned a little, moving a hand from Evan’s ass to stroke the side of his face, a gesture that seemed to Evan so tender in spite of what they were doing that his confusion over the whole thing reared again. “Evvy?”

Evan caught Chris’ eyes and almost caved in on the spot. He never wanted to leave this man, not ever... and then he resolutely shoved all of his misgivings and his confused, tangled justifications for either argument aside. Screw it; later would take care of itself and right then he needed to show Chris just how much Evan felt for him. He had already given Chris reason to believe that he wouldn’t even be there, hadn’t answered when Chris had asked him to stay – he didn’t want Chris thinking that he was just some convenient, transient fuck that Evan got off on laying as part of some power trip. Even if that was how he sometimes acted.

Wrapping his arms around Chris’ neck he leaned their chests together, all but attacking Chris’ lips. At the same time he started moving up and down over Chris again, impaling himself with every movement and making throaty noises every time he felt the head of Chris’ cock striking against his prostate. It was intense and incomparable, but dammit, it wasn’t just fucking. Not to Evan at least and he was certain, not for Chris either.

“I need you Chris,” he moaned, his lips brushing the other man’s as he spoke. “I want you, I want everything, I want it all—“ He wasn’t even entirely certain of what he meant, words falling without his conscious approval. All he knew was that Chris was hitting that spot inside of him so perfectly that he didn’t think he could hold on to sanity for long, that his erection was trapped between his own naked abs and the fabric of Chris’ shirt and the opposing sensations were setting him aflame, that whenever he could stop talking they would kiss again, desperate and messy and fierce, because they couldn’t bear not to have as much contact with each other as humanly possible.

Chris’ hands went back to his ass, spreading him wider to accept all of Chris, fingertips digging into his flesh urgently; Chris’ lips were on his, kissing and biting and moaning out the feelings that only Evan could elicit and Evan tried to tell the other that he could take no more, that he was dancing on the edge and it would take only another thrust to push him over it. But he didn’t get the chance. Chris pistoned his hips sharply, using Evan’s movements to drive the smaller man hard onto his shaft and force himself deeper and any warning Evan might have given was lost to the rising cry that escaped him. His entire world seemed to fragment as he rode Chris for everything he was worth, nothing remaining of reality but those explosive lusts inside of him. As was often the case his mouth was letting loose the first thing that came to mind but this time there was nothing but the others name on his lips.

He gripped down on Chris as hard as he could, even in his own extremities of bliss wanting to ensure that there was the same payoff for his lover. The result was almost immediate; Chris’ voice joined his own and Evan felt the warmth within him signalling Chris’ own release. The sensation jolted his body into cumming still, although he knew that by rights he should have been done – or rather, he would realise it later. The only thing he was aware of was how damned fantastic his body felt at that moment, Chris still inside of him and throbbing with the aftershocks of his release, Evan breathless and curled over his lovers body.

There was mostly silence for several minutes as they both tried to get their breaths back, Chris’ hands wandering from Evan’s ass to stroke the length of his back. Evan smiled slightly at the touch, knowing that he shouldn’t allow himself to enjoy the action as much as he was. After all, he would soon be gone and that would break both of their hearts when every fibre in his body was screaming at him to stay.

Eventually though Evan leaned up, taking his hat off and tossing it aside while grinning at Chris, giving the man a quick kiss before shifting further back and examining Chris’ clothing. The shirt that Evan had only unfastened bore the clear evidence of Evan’s reactions and he smirked slightly. “Maria’s gonna wonder about what happened to this shirt.”

“I might just take care of this one myself,” said Chris, looking down at himself and grinning slightly. “Wouldn’t wanna scandalise her or nothin’.”

Evan chuckled, getting off Chris on slightly shaky legs, making Chris want to comment that he looked like a newborn foal or something of the sort, but the somewhat sombre thoughts in his head stopped him. He hadn’t intended to, but he was sure that he had spoken his wish for the other to stay aloud, that Evan had seemed to suddenly lose his focus (and when they were together in that fashion, Evan never let anything distract him) seemed only to confirm it. But he hadn’t replied, not to say he would or he wouldn’t. Theirs was an unspoken rule; Evan could leave with a clear conscience because Chris had never asked him to stay and Chris could refrain from asking because he knew Evan could never agree. Only Chris had broken that rule and looking back at Evan, he was afraid to hear of what the consequences might be.

Was he selfish to expect anything like this off the other man? After all, one bounty hunter had caught up with them already. There was every chance that in asking Evan to stay with him, he was merely gifting his lover with death. Unless he could find a way to protect the other and the laws of the town, hell the laws of the whole country, did not allow him any power over a bounty hunter.

Evan raised an eyebrow at him. “Y’gonna stay there in yer soiled clothes with yer cock out all night Mr Mayor, or are ya gonna come up ta the bedroom with me?” He tilted his head as if considering. “Or the kitchen. We ain’t done nothin’ but kiss in there an’ it might be kinda fun ta see ya blushin’ whenever ya eat at the table. If we leave the table standin’ this time.”

Chris laughed, tucking himself back inside his pants and deciding that he had to wait before he raised the subject again, at a time when both of them were a little less emotional. He should have known that in the middle of sex was not the time to raise a serious issue, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. He would raise the issue again though. Now it had been spoken he couldn’t unsay it and Evan knew what he wanted – even if he had chosen not to acknowledge it.

“I ain’t sure it’s sanitary to do what we do where we eat. How ‘bout we go up the stairs instead?”

Evan nodded, turning to wave his naked ass at Chris before vanishing from the room, running lightly up the stairs with the intention of arranging himself in some come-hither pose by the time the other made it up the stairs. He had noticed the slightly sober look on Chris’ face before they started teasing one another once more but he honestly didn’t know what to do about it – he had to think. He had to consider everything and when he had the time and no distractions, like Chris’ gorgeous naked body to focus on. And he’d have to mention it to Randy and Cody of course, even if it was only something he was considering (and what he honestly, seriously considering it when he knew it could only end badly? Was he really that whipped?). He owed them that much and he was pretty sure they’d have their own reasons for perhaps even staying alongside him... if that was what he ended up doing. It was insane of course. Staying was just impossible – but if there was any chance at all it could happen and they could live out their lives there undiscovered, then Chris was the one who could make it happen. Evan had total faith in that.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Don't Want The Good To Come To An End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Ted steal some more quality time together, only someone's subconscious isn't letting them rest easy concerning their newfound happiness

“Was it really a good idea to leave Randy and John alone with each other?” Ted found himself asking concernedly as they walked towards Cody’s current lodgings, as Cody had essentially pre-arranged with John earlier.

Cody sighed slightly before shrugging his shoulders. “I dunno, but it’s not like they’re gonna be able t’do anythin’ t’one another, so we should just be grateful that we ain’t gotta stand there and listen to ‘em bitchin’ at one another.”

Ted supposed he had a point, but he had seen merely a small glimpse of the tempers both men had earlier in the evening, and he was concerned about what might happen if they both let their passions run away with them.

“You wanna come back with me still?” Cody said, hoping to distract Ted from the situation and to relax the other again. Ted was looking worried and although couldn’t deny he found it damned adorable that he was so concerned about his companion he would be lying if he said he didn’t selfishly want all of Ted’s attention to be fixated on him instead.

“Yes, yes I do,” Ted nodded, though figured that that was probably obvious to Cody by that point considering that they had walked right past Wade’s saloon and he hadn’t made any move to stop the other man and head back to his own room.

“Good,” Cody grinned, exposing the small gap between his front teeth that he usually made conscious effort to hide because it completely ruined his image. The genuine, rather carefree smile had Ted’s heart pounding slightly as he recalled the smile Cody had had earlier in the aftermath of their love-making. A small shiver ran through him as he recalled that he truly wasn’t a virgin anymore.

As they entered the Burchill’s saloon Cody felt himself bristle territorially as Katie-Lea looked Ted over with an obvious appreciation. Though he couldn’t deny she wasn’t wrong to be thinking Ted was possibly the most handsome man on earth, the way she was mentally undressing him with her eyes was something that he would have been definitely commenting on if he had been a woman and therefore in a better position to challenge her. Though he doubted many men would think him in the wrong for hitting her, if she’d seemingly disrespected him in some manner, Cody would never do that. He thought men who hit women were scum, even though he hadn’t really grown up around such things because Dusty Rhodes had been a big teddy-bear when it came to his own wife.

Going to the desk Cody forced a smile as he asked for their room-key, Katie-Lea all but purring the offer of joining them if they needed anything, obviously finding nothing wrong with the fact that the man with Cody was not one of the two whom he had gotten the room with. Not that he wanted her to kick up a fuss, but her distinct lack of care was almost worrying. Ted looked like a deer before a hunter, obviously not used to such open sexual aggression from a woman (or, well, anyone really, as Cody had discovered not a day or two ago) and Cody gave his shoulder a squeeze to rouse the unnerved looking man. Ted flashed a quick but nervous smile, trying not to flee for the stairs after Cody as his lover walked that way, casual as you please, but Ted could sense some strange tension in the man’s shoulders as he walked.

“Cody?” Ted asked as they made their way up the stairs, Cody seeming to be muttering to himself as he went along. When his lover didn’t answer, Ted tried again, “Cody?”

This time the man stopped, turning to look back at him, expression softening and becoming immediately attentive, “Teddy, didha say somethin’?”

Nodding his head, the blonde then cocked his head to one side, obviously concerned, “Are ya alrigh’?”

Cody nodded, though his lips compressed thinly for a moment. As the raventte turned to continue up the stairs Ted could have sworn he heard him mumble something along the lines of, “Floozies keepin’ their hands to themselves,” but he couldn’t be sure. The next time they stopped was because they had obviously reached Cody’s room, the outlaw making quick work of the lock and then making the rather gallant gesture of stepping back to let Ted in first. It was a room slightly less nicer than the one Ted was in, but at least the bed was still made and their stuff was in some semblance of order for once—there was only so much cleaning three rough-and-tumble men could bring themselves to do.

“Not much,” Cody said casually as he closed the door behind him, “But it’s a roof over our heads fer once.”

Ted didn’t respond, looking at the bed. For a moment Cody wondered if he was going to have a problem using the bed because Randy and John had done so the night before, but instead the blonde merely mumbled slowly, “How many of you use the bed?”

Somewhat puzzled by the question Cody shrugged, “All three o’ us. It’s no’ fair t’keep banishi’ someone to the floor, though we do try that, but considerin’ how much we all scrap fer the comfort o’ the bed we just share.” Since it was something they did often he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, but from the look on Ted’s face he felt differently.

“You… sleep in this bed… with two other men?”

Removing his hat, Cody tossed it aside, a frown touching his lips, “Teddy—“why was the other being so weird about the fact Cody shared with his friends? It wasn’t as though anything went on between the two of—Oh! Understanding dawned on Cody’s face and he couldn’t resist grinning slightly to himself before he then moved up behind his blonde lover, arms slipping around his waist as he began to drop kisses up the side of Ted’s neck, feeling the man shivering in his arms in response though he tried to hide it.

“Why Teddy, are ya jealous o’ Randy and Evan?” he couldn’t help chuckling slightly because to him the thought was absurd: Evan and Randy were like his brothers, and neither of them could rouse his emotions and his ardour the way that Ted could.

Ted sniffed slightly, misunderstanding Cody’s laughter as the other laughing at him. “Well, excuse me if I ain’t so progressive in thinkin’ that that’s Ok—“he started, before suddenly finding himself on his back on the bed, Cody’s lips against his own. His mind said he should push Cody off, because he wasn’t happy with him, but his body insisted that where they were was just fine and he wanted to stay there.

When the kiss broke apart both men were breathing rather hard, and Ted was already looking gorgeously rumpled and flustered. “Silly Teddy,” Cody chided gently. “There ain’t nothin’ that goes on between me and ma friends like that. Yeh’re the only one who gets me goin’, no one else,” and to prove it he rocked his hips against Ted’s, causing the blonde to moan softly.

Ted wasn’t sure that he liked being laughed at, even if Cody seemed to be slightly delighted by his naïveté. And what wasn’t there to be worried about? Cody spent his life with two other apparently sexually free men, both of whom were damned attractive in their own right (if not a patch on Cody) and with a lot less problems attached to them than seeing Ted produced. But if Cody said there was nothing going on then Ted was inclined to believe him – he didn’t see that Cody had any reason to lie. To put it brutally, Cody didn’t have to lie to keep Ted sweet, he already had the man wrapped around his little finger.

Cody was straddling Ted and Ted couldn’t help the slight blush that came over his face as Cody moved against him – alright, so he had lost his virginity earlier in the day. He’d actually been inside Cody. He was well aware though that Cody would love to be inside him as well – it was nothing that Cody had said, he just knew. And he couldn’t help but want that as well, although in a perfect world he would have more time to think about it, to get used to the idea. But the world was not perfect and there was no guarantee that Cody would even be there the next morning. In which case, did he really want to allow Cody access to that last part of him, knowing that he might be left alone and bereft the following day?

Yes. He didn’t think he would have changed his mind given the chance to think either. They had only a short time and he wanted to know everything about Cody, how they could make each other feel. He needed all he could get of Cody while he had the chance because he was so – so in love...

No. That was the one thing that they could never be.

Ted reached a hand to the back of Cody’s neck, drawing the other in for a kiss that Cody seemed more than happy to return. Ted’s breath hitched slightly as he felt Cody’s hands going to his shirt, unfastening it quickly but with clear deference to him – Ted realised with a jolt that Cody was waiting for him to tell him no more. That Ted was fine being the one on top, that was okay, but he would never allow Cody to take him. What he felt for Cody would probably get him a lot of trouble, a lot of labels, but what he wanted was to experience everything he was able about Cody – before he left, forever.

Desperate hands reached up and started work on Cody’s shirt, both of them getting naked from the waist up in short order. Cody wasted no time in allowing his lips to trail lower, over Ted’s throat and then his collar, hands stroking over Ted’s abs, worshipping every inch of skin he came in contact with Ted arched his back with a sigh of pleasure; he had known of course what sexual excitement was but he had never known how it could be so all-encompassing, overtaking every sense he possessed until there was nothing at all in the world that was more important. He hadn’t known that when the wise thing to do was to stop, he would disregard all common sense for the sake of keeping this feeling.

Cody leaned over him, breathing slightly heavier than usual and his eyes darkening, but there was a smile on his face as he pressed a hard kiss to Ted’s lips and then suddenly climbed off the other, rooting through his bag until he found the jar he had been searching for. A moment later he was back on the bed, jumping there and straddling Ted with a wicked grin that had Randy been around to see, he would have commented had been stolen from Evan. “The whole night alone,” he purred, devoutly hoping that was the case. If Randy pissed John off enough... well, Randy knew what the situation was with him and Ted and would probably choose to sleep under the stars if John told him to go fuck himself. He didn’t add that it might well be their last night alone, given how Randy and John had been behaving, that Randy might well decide they needed to get the hell out of town at first light.

Taking Ted’s hand, he pressed the jar into the palm and closed Ted’s fingers around it, seeing the slightly confused look the blonde wore and chuckling. “You might need that soon,” he said, watching as Ted examined the label and flushed almost immediately. Ted was so sheltered and the way any allusion at all to sexual behaviour made him embarrassed even when he lay half-naked beneath the man he’d given his virginity to made Cody grin, unaccountably happy just to see it. He hoped he hadn’t pushed it too far – Ted was still very reserved about this whole thing and acting blasé about it might upset him a little. To Ted, it was an incredibly big deal... and he might not have realised that it was the same for Cody.

Slowly, Ted handed the jar back to Cody, making his heart sink. Apparently Ted had decided that there was no way that there could be a repeat performance – something that made Cody want to wither with disappointment. He didn’t mind if Ted wanted to lie there all night merely sharing the warmth, but he wanted everything, given how their time together was so short and they had to fit a lifetimes worth into a few days. And even a lifetime might not have been enough time for Cody.

“I think—“ Ted’s voice broke slightly and he cleared his throat quietly. He always had trouble spitting out the words that he found awkward to say, Cody had noticed. “I think you might need it more tonight.”

For a confused moment Cody thought that Ted was trying to tell him he’d have to have a quick one off the wrist if he wanted any kind of satisfaction that night, but the blush and the look in Ted’s unwavering gaze told him what the truth of the matter was. His eyes widened slightly as he met that gaze, realising that the other was completely serious.

“A-are you sure?” he asked, voice hopeful. Goddamn, but he’d been dreaming of this moment, praying for it – he would have thought that his prayers had been answered had it not meant that he’d have to accept religious norms and not take Ted the way the other clearly wanted him to.

“I’m sure,” replied Ted, quietly but firm. Cody took a deep breath, barely able to believe that Ted was honestly about to allow him this. It seemed incredible that the blonde had that much faith in him that he would trust him in such a fashion and yet, here was the proof. Even knowing that Cody would have to leave him, he was willing to allow Cody this, probably the memory that would be getting him through the cold nights alone for the rest of his life, from the moment he left the other until his last breath, riding the rope.

“Teddy—“ The words I love you danced on his lips, not that he dared to speak them. Instead he leaned down again, kissing Ted fiercely so that the breath was stolen from both of them, wanting to imprint on the man how much this meant to him, giving the unspoken promise that he wouldn’t harm him, not then and not ever. It was frightening how much he felt for this man, how quickly and easily Ted had taken his heart and soul – he knew it would be best for both of them if Randy did decide that they should leave the next day, tearing the two of them apart before they could get in any deeper. But every part of him protested that such a thing might ever happen, telling him he needed to hang on to Ted no matter what it might mean for him – and no matter who else he might be leaving behind.

He shed the rest of Ted’s clothes with almost reverent care, taking long seconds to appreciate how his lover looked naked – strong, flawless muscles overlaid with velvety skin dusted with the finest of blonde hair. Fading marks that he had left on that perfect body, claiming ownership of it. Ted averted his eyes from Cody as the brunette looked over him, biting his lip slightly and Cody reached out to rest his fingers against Ted’s cheek, getting his attention back. “You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen.”

Ted flushed further and didn’t look entirely as if he believed him, but there was a slight tug around his lips that showed Cody he appreciated the sentiment. Cody’s gaze wandered to Ted’s cock, already standing up against his abs and remembered the night before; he had barely brushed against Ted’s entrance and the other had reacted so intensely – he would have to be careful not to push things too far too fast, or else he might send Ted over the edge. He clearly wasn’t experienced at all in tempering his reactions.

Ted was clearly trying not to look afraid, but his muscles were tense and that was no good; unless he was relaxed there were going to be problems. Cody smiled at him reassuringly, slipping off the end of the bed to remove the remains of his own clothing before positioning himself so that he could run his tongue up the inside of Ted’s thigh. The other trembled beneath him, catching his breath and Cody smiled wider, nipping the skin there lightly and when Ted let out a quiet moan, biting down harder. He left a purple mark there, one that no one else would know was there but would remind Ted of him as long as it lasted – and one that he’d see every time he had Ted in this position. His tongue lapped over the injured area and higher, until he was barely avoiding Ted’s balls and Ted was breathing heavily, hand on Cody’s head. There was no attempt at guidance Cody noted, to him it felt more as if Ted just needed to touch him somewhere.

Ted was probably expecting that Cody would take his cock into his mouth, serving as a distraction while he breached his entrance, but Cody had never liked to be predictable. He took Ted’s thighs in his hands, adjusting his position slightly and slowly ran his tongue over Ted’s puckered entrance.

“Cody!”

Cody would have grinned if he was able; Ted sounded so shocked, as if he had just committed some social faux pas, used the wrong fork for his starter or something along those lines. Not to be deterred, he allowed his tongue to probe a little and this time his name came out in a long sigh. Ted’s body was still tense but he was starting to relax under the sensations and that was exactly what Cody had been hoping for.

Cody plunged his tongue further into Ted’s body, initially keeping the organ stiff and using it to lubricate his passage slightly and to explore what made Ted feel good. The man was moaning, apparently trying not to writhe and Cody took that as a good sign, although he was sure that Ted would be at least a little embarrassed should he move back and look into his face. Very conscious of Ted’s virgin status when it came to this kind of play, he took his time to get Ted used to the feeling of intrusion while he slipped a hand from Ted’s thigh and found the small jar, unscrewing it and coating his fingers in the substance. He’d had his reasons for suggesting they use his room that night rather than Ted’s and that was in the hopes that this very eventuality would occur – he didn’t want to go prepared and look like he’d expected it of the man either. Usually he would just rely on his charm to have his partner overlooking such things but this was Ted and he really, really wanted the other to realise that for Cody, this was much more than a quick fling.

The lubricant didn’t have the best taste in the world but he could ignore that, caught up in the taste of his lover instead. He slid a finger inside Ted alongside his tongue and heard the other moan – not a pain moan, one of almost surprised pleasure and Cody had to remind himself to take things slowly, not to just plunge two or three fingers inside his lover and start stretching him properly – but oh, he was aching for the other already and there was nothing he wanted more than to be inside him.

He added a second finger and removed his tongue, lapping over Ted’s balls as he did so, not wanting the other to gain any kind of discomfort – and he didn’t think he’d concentrated so much on anything, ever. But this was more than worth it. Scissoring his fingers, he felt Ted’s slight jerk and ran his tongue up the underside of Ted’s cock, feeling the hand leave his hair and hearing the sound of Ted grabbing for the bars of the headboard. There was an almost constant litany coming from Ted, moans and sighs that spurred Cody on and told him that he was doing something right.

Ted was loosening inside, Cody could feel it as his body gave him more access and wondered if Ted was going to be okay – he’d shown a lot of trepidation earlier in the day when Cody had told him it was okay to use three fingers on him, he didn’t want to have the same thing happen again and this time, Ted was going to be worried about himself instead of someone else. Before he could change his mind he thrust his fingers deeper into the other, seeking out the bundle of nerves that would make Ted forget all about his possible misgivings. Ted took a quick breath and Cody was worried for a moment that he’d hurt the other, but then Ted bore back on his fingers and Cody relaxed, searching a moment for that spot – and then his fingers brushed against it and Ted’s response was immediate and electric, his entire body stiffening a moment before convulsing, crying out so loudly that Cody was momentarily concerned that they’d be heard by the people still drinking downstairs.

“Oh, Cody!” Ted’s voice was breathless and thick with arousal. “The hell was that?”

“Good was it?” Cody gave an innocent smile, brushing that spot again and when Ted shuddered at the touch, he inserted the third finger alongside the others. He knew that Ted had noticed, there was an audible intake of breath at the new fullness, but he was almost certain that Ted was too far into it to mind a little temporary discomfort. “Gonna hit that spot again when I’m inside you Teddy,” he murmured loudly enough for the other to hear, dropping a kiss onto his stomach. “Make you feel as good as you made me feel—“

Looking up, he saw the flush that had spread over Ted’s face and neck, the way Ted’s glittering eyes had fixed on him and his lips were slightly parted, chest rising and falling with his breathing. To Cody he looked like some god-like fantasy made flesh and the sight took his breath away a moment; for all his casualness about sex he already knew that what happened between them was more than that. He wished that Ted could see himself through Cody’s eyes at that moment because he could try forever and never be able to do justice to what he could see right then with mere words.

He conquered the almost overpowering sense of wonder and twisted his fingers inside the other again; Ted was so damned tight that he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to ready him enough so that there would be no pain at all, the last thing he wanted was to harm his lover in any way.

However, Ted had other ideas. “Cody—“ There was a definite pleading tone in his voice and Cody paused, giving Ted a searching look. If Ted wanted to end this right now then Cody would do so without voicing a complaint, although he might need some serious alone time to take care of himself.

“Cody, I’m ready!” Aware of how needy he sounded, Ted lowered his voice a little but that didn’t change the tone of the words. “I need you Cody, now, I-I don’t think I can keep my head if you don’t take me right now—“

With a helpless groan, Cody withdrew his fingers from inside Ted, grabbing the container of lubricant and hurriedly placing it on the floor by the bed (he didn’t want to spill it if they were going to need more later, something he damn well hoped was the case) and slickening his fingers once more, rubbing the lotion onto his cock and noticing as he did so that his hand was shaking slightly with need. When was the last time that had happened to him? He was almost certain that before Ted, it never had. Leaning over Ted it occurred to him that he would probably be the only person who would ever have Ted in this fashion, the thought made something stronger than desire well up inside him.

Ted was still tense but not so much as he had been and Cody smiled at him, trying to soothe him a little. “Let me take care of you,” he murmured, guiding himself to Ted’s entrance and pressing himself past the tight ring of muscles. Immediately he felt his body wanting to surge forward, bury himself inside his lover and take what he needed, an urge he quelled hurriedly. As much as he wanted this, he wanted more that Ted enjoyed it. Call him selfish, he’d been called that before, but he wanted to make sure that Ted was ruined for anyone but him. The only person that could ever draw the man’s true passionate nature to the surface.

“Breathe baby,” he said quietly, noticing that Ted seemed to be holding his breath. If Ted passed out then there would be no pleasure to be had by either of them – but Ted did as he was told right away, although his breaths seemed slightly laboured. Cody focused himself on taking things slow, starting an almost rocking movement that had him going deeper inside his lover with every gentle thrust. Ted was gripping the sheets and Cody paused long enough to take both of Ted’s hands in his own, almost pinning him to the bed with their fingers entwined, knowing that it would be easier for them this way if Ted found it too much.

“Cody—“ Ted’s eyes were wide as he looked back at Cody, filled with lust; Cody saw no trepidation at all. “I can feel you, you feel so good inside me...”

“You’re so tight Teddy, it—“ Cody cut himself off before he could say that it almost hurt; it wasn’t quite the truth and it would only worry his lover when the truth was that he was being gripped so tightly it was incredible, no one had ever felt like this for him before. He let himself go deeper, not quite all the way inside Ted yet and Ted jerked his hips up to meet Cody’s. With a cry Cody reacted without thinking, burying himself entirely inside Ted and stopping totally when he heard the muffled groan Ted involuntary let out and tried to hide; he hadn’t meant to but that had sounded too much like pain.

Ted’s eyes squeezed closed a moment, his breath coming in shallow pants before he opened them wide again, that determined gaze fixed on Cody. “Don’t stop,” he said – almost demanded. “I’m okay, don’t stop!”

Cody didn’t believe that there was no discomfort at all but he knew himself that it would pass and dwelling on it would only make things worse. Rolling his hips, he moved inside Ted again, this time the sound the blonde let out a lot less pained. Ted noticed the look of intense focus on Cody’s face and grinned at him – the kind of sunny smile that said that all was well and as it should be, that making love to Cody was the most fun he could ever have. Cody felt the nerves he hadn’t been aware of soothing and he untangled one of his hands from Ted’s, cupping the others face.

“You’re incredible, Teddy,” he murmured, still rolling his hips gently to accustom Ted to being as filled as he was. “Beautiful and good, you don’t know how you make me feel...” He bit back the words, but the sincerity remained in his voice. “I’m gonna be dreamin’ of you every night for the rest of my life.

“Good to know,” Ted said without any glibness, unable to tear his eyes from Cody’s as the young man worked his hips into his body over and over and over again. Those beautiful sapphires seemed to be aflame with emotion and Ted was completed captivated by just how much Cody was affected by their union in turn. His hand tightened around the back of Cody’s neck slightly, where it had fallen when Cody had released him, needing more contact and closeness with the other. His other hand was still curled around Cody’s and braced over his head. He had never felt so open or vulnerable, but at the same time he knew it was okay to be that way.

“Why’s that?” Cody asked, groaning and biting his lip as Ted’s legs tightened around his waist even more, drawing him in deeper if that was possible—especially when the motion was coupled with Ted cocking his hips just so, making Cody’s head spin. There wasn’t a single scant inch of him outside of the other man and he was awed by how Ted was so receptive and sensual even though this was his first time in the submissive position. Most blokes by this stage were usually still somewhat sniffling and making excuses as to why they were not gay and that having another man’s dick up their ass didn’t make them so, possibly even crying or throwing insults through the moans and wanton writhing that set in once their spot was located and the previous pain they had been experienced was completely forgotten.

“’Cause now I won’t feel so guilty if I dream about you every night,” Ted moaned, feeling Cody’s lips caressing his throat, tongue following the line of his thundering pulse before he began to nip at Ted’s Adam’s apple, making him groan again louder.

Even though there was a small cynical part of the outlaw that denied Ted was telling the truth his heart swelled at the admittance; he didn’t care if it was fake because in his own mind it would be real, and it was yet another thought concerning Ted that would fill his mind and heart for all those lonely nights… something told him wrist was going to become very, very practised in certain repetitive motions when he and Ted were parted. Not to say that Ted was nothing more than a willing body to him because that wasn’t true. If Ted was just a body then Cody wouldn’t have been nearly as interested in the foreplay, though he would have been careful, especially if they were a virgin, and he sure as hell wouldn’t be talking nearly as much. He had never thought of himself as much of a talker during sex, but when he was making-love to Cody he couldn’t seem to get his mouth to stop moving, to say whatever he was thinking as it flashed through his lust-addled and adoration-filled mind. Mercifully Ted would probably not be paying to half of what he said since he seemed overwhelmed by the feelings he was currently experiencing. By that point there was sweat glistening upon both their tanned skins, the low-candlelight of the room bathing them both in a golden glow, adding to the sheer beauty of the moment.

Just when Ted had become accustomed, well, not accustomed per se, more-- used to the sensation of Cody moving within him, the other suddenly rolled his hips forward harder than before and then twisted them just so, and sent sparks exploding in Ted’s mind’s-eye. The cry that emitted from Ted’s mouth, a borderline scream at the sudden bliss that struck him like a bolt of lightning, was swallowed into Cody’s mouth as the younger man had the quick foresight to try and stem the noises. Though they had been lucky that no-one had come and investigated their noises by that point he didn’t want to tempt fate too much, both for the sake of Ted’s safety and also because he would be beyond fucking pissed off if someone interrupted them then especially out of all the time they had to interrupt beforehand. Breaking the kiss Ted saw Cody’s smile turn positively deviant and his already throbbing, weeping shaft pulsed harder.

“I toldja it’d feel good, Teddy,” Cody said, letting his other hand release Ted’s to brace down on the bed, the hand that had been cupping Ted’s cheek before now covering that lusciously red, swollen-lipped mouth. “Much as I wanna hear ya, Teddy,” Cody panted, starting to move the way his instincts were demanding now that he was sure he wouldn’t accidentally cause Ted an injury, getting his prostate each and every time he moved, the sounds Ted was making now muffled into his hand, “—I don’ wan’ us t’be bothered by folks who don’ deserve t’see you at all, let alone looking so perfect and beautiful like this.”

The possessiveness in Cody’s tone should have offended him, Ted knew that deep down, but it didn’t work that way. His hands were clutching Cody’s sweaty back by this point, hands struggling to get a purchase as the sound of skin up skin got louder, more obscene, neither young man caring as they strived towards that peak; the peak that Cody had taught Ted how to discover, and that Ted knew was much more pleasurable to experience with Cody than on his own. The muffled cries Ted was giving were thrilling, but Cody would have preferred it so much more if he needn’t have to give a damn about the world outside that room, and what it could mean for both of them if they were discovered. Ted’s eyes were so hooded with pleasure they looked almost closed, face and torso red with a blush, skin shinning with sweat and muscles rippling and flexing as Cody continued to pound into him. Vaguely Ted realised that even though Cody seemed to be barely holding back the other was still more composed than he himself had been earlier on in that day. Momentarily he was concerned about that, but then Cody’s body lowered to his some more and Ted’s erection was being rubbed against rigid muscle and he forgot everything.

He barely had time to warn Cody that he was there, that one more would be all he needed to hit the pleasure precipice, but Cody seemed to know even without his slightly more urgent sounds being muffled into Cody’s calloused hands, for he seemed to call on his last reserve, pounding into Ted with a greater force and speed than before—and then Ted was gone. His body seemed aflame and yet flying all at once, bliss flowing through him, replacing his blood, his body convulsing as the world whited out around him. Cody’s abdomen and his own became covered in his cum, Ted barely registering as Cody bit down on his shoulder to muffle the roar of pleasure that he wanted to let out as he filled Ted to the brim with his seed, rocking his hips back and forth weakly until they were both completely spent.

As he came back to himself somewhat he suddenly realised that he may have been far too hard on Ted considering it was only his first time, but when he got the conscious thought to try and remove himself from the other, and apologise, Ted was already pulling him down into a kiss that spoke volumes, stealing the scant amount of breath that Cody had managed to accumulate back into his lungs.

Pulling away, Cody found himself being drawn down to Ted’s chest, held by Ted’s strong arms, the elder man seemingly uncaring about the mess between them or that Cody was still inside of him. “Cody… that was amazing.” Ted’s voice was hoarse from all of the crying out that he had done not minutes before, and Cody felt pride shoot through him as he acknowledged the fact that he had been the one to make Ted feel like that.

Eventually he had to ease himself from Ted’s body (hearing the small whimper Ted gave and feeling immense regret over it even though it wasn’t as though he could help it) before he settled down atop the bed and pulled Ted so he was the one nestled into Cody’s chest this time around. That had been… Ted was right, amazing seemed a great word and yet at the same time Cody felt it didn’t do it justice. Ted was the amazing one; he had trusted Cody enough to give himself up to him not once, but twice, forever ingraining himself in the outlaw’s life and heart, knowing he would never forget Ted Smith—sorry, DiBiase, for as long as he lived. If they never saw one another again after that night he would forever cherish this day, and night. Pressing a kiss to Ted’s sweaty forehead Cody caressed Ted’s spine, and then down over the downy swell of his magnificently built rear, daringly letting his fingers glance lower and hearing Ted’s breath catch.

Selfishly, Ted found himself wishing that he was a woman. Though he had no complaints about being a man normally, there was one thing that might have potentially happened to him after this night had he been female: he might have become pregnant with Cody’s child. Any child that Cody sired would be beautiful, regardless of the woman who contributed her genes to it. A sudden feeling of loss welled in Ted; if he could bear Cody’s child then that would be a part of Cody that he could keep forever, even if he couldn’t keep Cody himself. The sting of tears in his eyes embarrassed and mortified him, and he closed them quickly before resting his head atop Cody’s shoulder as they lay, face pressing into Cody’s neck. He was torturing himself with ridiculous, completely impossible thoughts, and he needed to stop. He blamed the fact that he had just lost both virginities, as well as his heart, to the outlaw he currently lay embraced with as to why he was so emotional.

“Thank you, Cody,” he murmured into the outlaw’s neck, and he swore he could feel the other man’s surprise even though his body was relaxed, arms still around Ted and still resting his head on his.

“No Teddy,” Cody murmured softly after a few moments to get over his surprise and undoubtedly grinning like a fool all the while, “Thank you.” And he meant that sincerely indeed; Ted could have said no, both times, to his more serious advances, wanting nothing more than to merely sate a curiosity before they parted ways and returned to their separate lives. It took him a few minutes of quiet, merely basking in Ted’s company, to realise that Ted’s body had gone lax and that his breathing had become deep and even; he had fallen asleep.

Moving carefully and looking to Ted’s face, Cody saw that the blonde had indeed fallen asleep. Unbidden a chuckle rose up from his throat; bless him, he must have worn the blonde out more than he had expected. Yawning softly behind his own hand Cody merely adjusted their positions to be a bit more comfortable, pulling the sheet up over them both before he then blew out the almost-dead candle. Listening to Ted’s steady breathing in the darkness of the bedroom Cody smiled to himself with a hint of sadness in the motion. He didn’t regret what he had done, he didn’t regret anything he had done with Ted, but the sudden tight sensation that had sprung up in his chest had him struggling to breathe for a few seconds. He was going to miss Ted. He was actually going to miss Ted. Cody had never missed anyone whom he had slept with in the past; usually he couldn’t wait to get away, but this time around… this time around he found himself wishing that things would somehow go differently and he could spend more time with Ted.

Falling asleep himself wasn’t something that he actively remembered doing, but coming back to consciousness was unpleasant. His head was groggy and mildly fuzzy, indicating that he hadn’t been asleep very long at all, and Cody was confused as to what could have woken him up. Sitting up, the outlaw rubbed his eyes somewhat and looked around the dark room, barely able to make out anything except a small square of light from one of the lamps outside, illuminating the area just underneath the window. The ravenette could hear Ted breathing slow and deep, murmuring softly to himself now and again, obviously still asleep. Unable to shake the unsettling feeling that something was off Cody made his way to the window and looked out—the street was quiet, no lights on in any of the windows, the only ones coming from the saloon that they were currently within. No drunkards were wandering down the street to go home after an arduous night’s drinking. Actually… there was no sound at all. The feeling that something was not right here began to get stronger.

Shuffling broke out behind him suddenly and Cody turned around, mentally cursing as he believed that he had awoken Ted—but the sight that greeted him sent fear racing through his veins and turning his blood to icy water. Ted’s fear stricken eyes were locked on him, a hand clamped over his mouth as another held a blade to his throat, a shadowy figure holding the man hostage. One slip and that would be it for Ted.

Reflexively Cody reached for his gun before he remembered that he was still stark-naked, and his skin still bore the evidence of what he and Ted had been doing earlier in the night. “L-Let go of him,” Cody’s voice shook with concern and rage, but he tried to keep himself as neutral as possible so as not to alarm the person holding Ted, causing them to react rashly, and also because he wanted to try and offer Ted reassurance that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. The stranger shifted and Cody was enraged to see that they were smirking underneath their hat.

In retrospect he knew lunging himself at a mad-man with a knife to his lover’s throat was a bad idea, but Cody couldn’t bring himself to consider that there might be a better course of action. He flew across the bedroom and locked his hand around the wrist that held the blade against Ted’s throat, using all of his strength to wrench it away from his lover. “Ted!”

He heaved his body into the unknown assailants to get him to release Ted, the blonde falling to the bed in silence and remaining there—something that Cody found off, but couldn’t quite investigate at that moment in time considering that he was currently locked in a fight with a madman.

Tackling the man to the floor, Cody threw the knife across the room, drawing his hand back to give the assailant a good old-fashioned beating for daring to put his hands on Ted—when the stranger suddenly removed his arms to expose his face. A sick sort of fear went through Cody as he found himself staring down at his own face, twisted and disfigured with eerie rage and glee. The imposter-Cody looked to the bed, where Ted was still sitting, fear-struck and unmoving. Suddenly, Ted’s body began to thrash and convulse, as though he was in great pain, screaming bloody-murder.

“You did this to him,” rasped an unnatural, croaky voice from his own lips, “It’s because of you that he shall forever be tainted. You ruined him!”

A cry of rage and fear left Cody, slamming the imposter’s head into the floor before he scrabbled off of him and made his way back to Ted, grasping his terrified lover and trying to soothe him. Almost as soon as Cody touched him Ted went still, eyes wide and staring, accusations and fear burning in the usually warm depths. The light seemed to leave those blues altogether though when Cody watched, Ted going limp into his arms, skin getting paler and paler with each second as phantom bruises and bloody gashes began to cover Ted’s exposed body, making it look as though he had been savaged by a pack of wild animals. By this point Cody was in hysterics himself.

“No!” Cody screamed, Ted’s blood smearing over his own exposed flesh as he held the limp, rapidly cooling form close to him, “No! Take me instead, take me instead but leave him alone!” He shook Ted, the blonde’s head lolling back and forth like a doll’s as he pleaded with him to open his eyes. Shoulders heaving, eyes obscured by tears, Cody finally set Ted’s body down, kissing the bloody lips and caressing the pale face with shaking fingers. “I love you, Teddy,” he whispered, turning to face himself, knowing that the figure in the shadows stood in front of him.

“You ruined him,” the pseudo-Cody said, lifting his gun and aiming between Cody’s eyes, “Now you’re goin’ t’ruin you as well.”

“No!” Cody cried out as he bolted upright, covered in sweat and panting, but this time for reasons that were far from pleasant. His hands were shaking and he felt as though he was going to be sick, the sticky sensation of fresh blood on his hand, before his eyes, even though he knew that he had been dreaming. Strong arms encircled him and Cody slammed his eyes shut against tears as he shakily gripped Ted back. Ted. Ted was Ok, Ted was alive. He hadn’t done… hadn’t done whatever that thing had said he’d done. He was so relieved that a few tears escaped, mingling with the sweat thickly coating his face, barely hearing Ted’s words to him.

“Cody, honey, are you alright?” Ted’s voice was sleepy and yet completely alert, concerned, all at once. His hands were steady around him and Cody latched onto the other’s solidity desperately. He brought one of his own hands up to scrub roughly over his face though, still breathing hard and with his heart thundering like a rampant steed in his chest. Being called ‘honey’ was so strange, and yet seemed so natural at the same time when it was coming from Ted.

“Yeah,” he murmured softly, his voice sounding hollow even to his own ears as he struggled to calm himself down and manage, “Yeah, I’m good, I’m fine, just… just a… nightmare.”

God, that was embarrassing to admit, and now that he was awake and calming down he felt even more embarrassed for letting himself get het up in such a fashion. He gave what he hoped was a bracing smile to Ted, but the other didn’t look like he was buying it even slightly. A hand continued to rub up and down his back and arm, those blues that he had horrifically envisioned as lifeless in his dream were now weighed down with concern for his wellbeing. Seriously, what had he done in life that would warrant him so lucky as to have Ted in it? “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he then added.

Ted shook his head, seeming the least bit phased by the fact. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” he prodded gently, seeing Cody shake his head in response.

A hand suddenly cupped his cheek and Ted blinked as he felt Cody’s hot, perspiring forehead pressing against his own, amazed by how warm that part of Cody’s body was as opposed to the rest of him which was clammy and cold. “Teddy… I need ya t’know that you mean a lot t’me. And I ain’t kiddin’; I haven’ cared so much about someone since first meetin’ Randy and Evan… but the way I feel fer you an’ the way I feel fer them is different, no worries—“

Damn it, he was usually so smooth and suave, but at the moment he sounded like some bumbling fool. Wishing to save himself anymore excruciating embarrassment and to try and retain some dignity, Cody then embraced Ted tightly before releasing him and then saying softly, “We should lay down an’ try an’ get some more sleep.” He continued to try and maintain his faced of ease, to act unconcerned and to reassure Ted he really had just been out of sorts by this dream… he couldn’t deny though, when Ted’s arms circled him and the other man spooned him from behind that he felt so much better. His hand took Ted’s and twined their fingers tightly.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Negotiating Your Position In My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three little words can bring your world tumbling down or build it up better, as two men will find. Randy tends to John in the aftermath after a little reminder and Ted takes steps to reassure Cody that everything is fine.

It was with caution and slow movements that John dressed, his hands twinging more than once and alerting him to the fact that he probably had an innumerable amount of splinters in his hands.

“Yeh’re so fuckin’ dead fer this, Orton—“John said as they began walking back to the town. It was amazing how casual things seemed between them considering what had just happened, but John wasn’t fooled; there was a strong undercurrent of tension between them as they walked, and Randy actually had the blatant audacity to keep a hand on his ass as they walked. Granted it was night, so even if someone was walking towards them or behind them they wouldn’t be able to tell too clearly, but that wasn’t the point. There was a blush warming his cheeks as he considered he’d effectively agreed to Randy’s ownership of him, just for the sake of being fucked by said outlaw. Good Lord… his dad would throw a fit, for multiple reasons, if he ever found out about this. Not that he would, mind.

“Whateva ya say, Cena,” Randy said, a smirk curling his lips as they walked. John’s clothing was probably as soiled as his body now, but Randy didn’t care. He was determined to fuck any thoughts of any man out of John’s head and damn was he going to do it and all. The other had agreed to it, and if he hadn’t agreed to it then he wouldn’t have felt it deep down… if John had called his bluff then Randy wasn’t sure he could have actually refused the other man and just fucking him into the tree.

“I know yeh’ll make it worth my while wheneva ya decide t’make yer move.” The outlaw’s gaze regarded his lover out of the corner of his eyes, making out the warm flush and swollen lips through the strong moonlight, “But t’night ain’t gonna be that night.”

As they reached the town’s limits Randy removed his hands from John, the man not having spoken another word to him as they walked. When they passed Wade’s saloon Randy had half a mind to expect that John would march in there but refuse for him to go anywhere with him… but he didn’t, he remained walking in tandem with Randy, eyes straight ahead and the brim of his hat slightly lower than normal. When they reached the front of the saloon John merely sent him a small look and then headed inside. The place was sort of full, but not concentrated, people barely glancing up when they walked in together, John heading for the front desk to pick his key up from Wade, “Evenin’ Wade.”

If Wade seemed surprised to see them together he made no comment on the matter. Smiling slightly and nodding to John he moved the key from its numbered hook and handed it over, greeting Randy as well and he returned the favour. There was a momentary awkwardness, on John’s part at least, when he noticed the looks Wade flickered between the two of them; oh, he knew alright, and John felt a momentary panic. However, before he could comment a young man stepped out of the main office, brushing down a set of clothing that John recognised as the uniform of the workers in Wade’s saloon—he was rather innovative on that score, because most people just wore what they wanted.

“Wade, does this look alright?” Justin started to ask the man, and then blushed somewhat through his dark skin when he realised Wade was tending to people, assuming he had interrupted. Dropping into a slight bow out of reflex, and wincing from an ingrained sense of expectation for some sort of negative response, Justin murmured, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t-to interrupt.” Because Justin still had his head down he missed the look of puzzlement on Wade’s face, the man seeming to completely forget about John and Randy in the presence of the young man. Well, that was completely fine by Randy as he was annoyed with the small talk and pleasantries that kept them out of the bedroom longer.

Giving John a pointed look he began to lead him back towards the stairs, knowing where to go as he’d seen Cody and Ted come down them earlier that day. Since the hallway was empty when they got up there Randy wasted no time in getting himself reacquainted with John again—via his mouth being attached to the man’s neck and leaving another mark, that was. The way John convulsed and gasped thrilled Randy deep down to his core, and the way those usually sure hands fumbled as he undid the lock further stroked his ego.  
“I don’ wanna hear no more complaints, ya get me, John?” Randy said smoothly into John’s ear as the door finally opened and he all but shoved the man inside, taking the key from the lock and closing the door firmly behind them, staring at John as John looked back at him, chest heaving, face flushed and with Randy’s latest mark blaring from his throat. “The only thing yeh’re gonna be doin’ with that mouth of yehrs t’night is sucking me—so geddown on yer knees and open wide, bitch.” Oh, John could protest and play the good boy all he wanted, but Randy saw the way the man fidgeted, and it seemed John wasn’t as tired as he thought if the tent in his pants was anything to go by.

John was, not to put too fine a point on it, completely outraged. Outraged that Randy thought he could possess him like some object, talk to him like that and expect John to drop to his knees and do exactly as he was told. The real outrage though was that he was having to actively fight his body from doing just that. There was something in Randy’s voice that brooked no argument and damn, John wanted to just bid hail and farewell to his pride and do as he’d been told. But the respect part of his personal credo raised his head and he scowled instead, trying to will himself not to merely sink to his knees and pull Randy’s cock from his pants.

“I ain’t your bitch Orton,” he snapped. “Or anyone else’s.”

Randy smirked. “I said, I didn’t want no more complaints. On yer knees.” His gaze slid deliberately down John’s body until he was looking at the man’s crotch. “And don’t bother denyin’ ya want to.”

John growled, narrowing his eyes slightly and coming to a quick decision. Finally giving in to the desires he hadn’t ever considered he might have, he dropped to his knees and rapidly pulled Randy’s cock from his pants. From the slight look of surprise he saw in Randy’s eyes, the man had actually been expecting slightly more in the way of complaints, but that didn’t mean he was complaining himself. With a slight smirk, John brushed his lips against the head and then opened his mouth, taking the man’s length into his mouth without hesitation, relaxing his throat as much as he could and moving down until the head of Randy’s cock brushed the back of his throat, his nose pressed against the man’s groin. Randy gave a loud gasp at the action, having definitely not expected such enthusiasm.

Putting his hands on the back of John’s head Randy thrust his hips forward, almost choking the other with the suddenness of the movement. But John took it in his stride, allowing Randy to fuck his mouth roughly. Had Randy been anywhere close to his right mind, he might have wondered what John had in store for him and why he was being so accommodating to Randy’s desires, but Randy wasn’t thinking of anything except how he was feeling at that exact second.

“That’s right John,” he moaned, fingers tightening around the other mans’ scalp. “Keep goin’, oh yeah that’s so fuckin’ good—“

John scraped his teeth very lightly against the top of Randy’s shaft and this time, the gasp the man gave was slightly worried. “Shit John, watch the teeth—“ John was more than a little tempted to give Randy a lesson in what happened when he didn’t treat John with the proper respect but tempered himself, allowing Randy to lose himself in sensation. John waited until he could feel Randy stating to twitch more violently in his mouth, hear the abandon in the man’s voice and made his move.

Randy was completely engulfed in the incredible feelings running through his body; he wasn’t thinking of anything save for the warm, wet heat of John’s mouth sliding over his erection and how goddamn close he was, getting closer with each passing second... and then suddenly John’s hands, which had been resting on his thighs for leverage, suddenly moved up to his hips with startling speed. At the same time, John pulled his head completely off Randy’s shaft and out of his grip. Randy had just enough time to see John’s blue eyes filled with determination before he was suddenly turned around and shoved backward. Taken by surprise he stumbled, the backs of his legs hitting the bed so that he landed hard, spread-eagled across the sheets.

John might have laughed at any other time – Randy looking so completely startled and more than a little pissed off, erection standing against his still-clothed abs wet with precum and saliva. But there was no time for that; a moment after Randy fell John crashed heavily on top of him, knees to either side of Randy’s hips, hands finding Randy’s wrists and gripping them with more than necessary force.

“I told ya Randy, I ain’t your bitch!”

Randy didn’t seem at all intimidated, smirking slowly up at John. He’d lost his hat somewhere in the move between standing and bed but he certainly hadn’t lost the erection that John could feel pressing into his thigh. “You ain’t no good boy either,” he said, rather smugly as if he’d known it all along.

“Never claimed ta be,” returned John sharply.

Randy’s eyes turned suddenly cold, that gaze focused on John in the way that always made him feel as transparent as glass. “That’d explain what ya were doin’ down with the rich folk and their pet sheriff.”

John tried hard not to react openly, but it suddenly all came together in his mind. Randy had freaked out at the thought of him being there, accused him of all kinds of sexual misbehaviour and then decided to pull all that ‘you’re mine’ alpha male shit. John had been too angry to see it at first and too damned pissy to see it later on, but it suddenly made sense. Randy was jealous. That realisation probably shouldn’t have made him as grimly pleased as it did.

“Hunter was sniffin’ ‘round me as an out-of-towner he could pay ta force some lady outta her home by any means necessary.” John’s lip curled slightly and he felt the anger return – it had been the kind of night that got him mad with one thing and another. “I told ‘em ta shove it and left. Didn’t even take off my hat, let alone my pants. I keep tellin’ ya Orton, I ain’t no one’s bitch, yours or anyone else’s.”

He didn’t know if Randy believed him and suddenly didn’t even care, although doubtless he would once he was over all this weirdness and calmed down for good. Releasing Randy’s wrists, he moved down the others body until his face was level with Randy’s erection, taking it into his mouth and continuing right where he had left off – with one important difference; this time he kept his hands on Randy’s hips, pinning him to the bed and controlling the pace.

Randy groaned, trying to arch up and thrust into John’s mouth but John refused to let him. Randy might have been in control while he was stood and John was on his knees but in this position John had a lot more say over what happened and he intended to exercise it. He kept Randy all but immobile as he sucked hard at Randy’s shaft, moving his head rapidly and moaning around the erection, doing all he could to bring Randy off. The other had been damned close when he had interrupted things and he didn’t think it would take too long at all.

He had been right. Less than a minute later the curses falling from Randy’s lips had turned to wordless moans, becoming muffled as Randy brought a hand to his mouth to try to hold them back. He redoubled his efforts, growling deep in his throat as he felt Randy start to throb in earnest and then make some sound that was close to a cry through the hands over his lips, filling John’s mouth with his essence. John swallowed with ease, continuing to suckle around Randy until he was certain he had everything that the other had to give, sitting up and meeting the man’s eyes while he licked his lips in a wanton display of shamelessness.

Randy had been right back there at the tree. He wanted more, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to submit entirely to the other. That last inability didn’t mean that he hadn’t wanted to taste the other intimately, have Randy inside him once more and drive himself into the other in return. Randy had been entirely right about him... damn the man.

~:~

Ducking into Chris’ room Evan immediately hastened to his bed and lay himself on his front, legs swinging but almost as soon as he settled though he rolled onto his back, and then his side. Gosh darn it, when did it become so hard to adopt a seductive pose to try and tempt his lover? The ravenette frowned softly to himself before settling back on his side, one leg drawn up slightly and fingers trailing over the soft covers of Chris’ bed. His heart was still heavy in his chest, each beat reminding him of the unanswered request that Chris had made. The young outlaw decided then and there that he didn’t want to respond to it that night; he just wanted to enjoy his time with Chris, and tomorrow they could take notice of the elephant in the room. That had been his intention at least, but when Chris entered the bedroom Evan immediately noticed that something was most definitely /not/ conducive of unsavoury behaviour.

Though his positioning was not lost on Chris –he could see that in the way the Mayor’s eyes narrowed a fraction- he knew that it wasn’t going to distract the man the way that he wanted to. The blonde removed his soiled shirt and tossed it aside before shucking out of his pants and undergarments, letting them fall to the ground without care as well. Though Chris might not be defined as himself, or a younger man in general, there was nothing to be ashamed about in his case and Evan loved how he looked… the outlaw almost froze in place when he realised what word he had just thought. He had always acknowledged that he cared for Chris, had never felt that way about any other person, but love? That was something else entirely. It seemed as though he’d blinked and Chris was before him, the blonde man’s hand cupping his cheek as he joined him on the bed. The shutters of Chris’ bedroom were already closed, much like the bed had been turned down…

The small gestures that denoted how much Chris had been anticipating his arrival warmed Evan right to the core and made him feel even guiltier about the fact that he had been late, even though it had been through no fault of his own. His heart began to pound harder and harder in his chest as Chris’ lips brushed gently over the line of his jaw, and then over his cheeks and to the tip of his nose, going nowhere near his lips even though Evan tried to angle his head to get him to kiss him as such. “Evan… I know you heard me downstairs,” Chris murmured quietly, the words going directly into Evan’s ear and reverberating around his skull. “I know you heard what I said… and I just need ya t’know that that weren’t just idle chatter.” Evan’s eyes closed, his breath catching in his lungs as he had his previous confusion clarified.

“Chris—“Evan started, but the blonde drew back, a finger pressing over Evan’s lips and giving him the undeniable sign that Chris wanted him to hush up. He did so, eyes focused on Chris’ face, anxiety welling in him. God, he wanted this so badly, he wanted to finally settle down and sate himself by selfishly being around Chris all day every day, but at the same time he had his friends to consider, as well as the consideration of the consequences and ramifications of his previous actions as an outlaw. If someone got their hands on him here then he could swing from a gibbet regardless of what Chris might try to do to save him but if he went over the border then he would be safe, able to return in a year or so.

“Evan…” he didn’t recall a time he had ever seen Chris looking so serious, or so afraid, and he knew that he wanted to do something, anything to get that expression from Chris’ face. “I…” Chris swallowed hard against the lump that had grown in his throat, figuring that he should just say it now because he couldn’t hide it any longer. Locking eyes with the young outlaw he steeled himself.

“I love you.”

The words seemed to hang in the air between them neither man moving an inch after it was spoken. Evan was the one to finally move as he released a breath that he hadn’t even realised he was holding in one swift movement. “Chris…” fuck, oh God. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? It was one thing to make these admittances to himself, but to make them aloud?

The blonde man before him shook his head, “I know that ya probably don’ feel the same, Evan, and I ain’t gonna force ya to, an’ I don’ expect anythin’ from ya.” It killed him to consider letting Evan go especially now the other knew exactly how he felt about him, but if that was what Evan wanted he couldn’t stop him. He couldn’t make him stay if he didn’t want to and Evan didn’t owe him anything. “I just needed ya t’know. Ya mean… ya mean everythin’ t’me.” The blonde cupped both of Evan’s cheeks, looking the younger man in his wide coco eyes.

Chris’ hands were shaking lightly and if Evan had had even a momentary doubt as to the other man’s feelings for him it would have been cleared up in an instance at that small indication; Chris was not a man to be afraid, and if he didn’t mean what he said then he wouldn’t look so affected by it… Evan’s eyes closed momentarily, aware that Chris was still talking but he could barely hear the words that were being said; all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart and the rushing of his blood inside of him, roaring in his ears. Whether this moment was a dream or not he knew that he was never going to forget it as long as he lived.

Putting an end to Chris’ tirade by brushing his lips against Chris’ own, Evan then quirked a weak smile and sighed, “Chris… I… c’mon,” his lips trembled slightly, “Ya gotta know how I feel about you, right?” he thought that it was pretty obvious and all.

Chris’ brow arched somewhat and looked at him, not unkindly but seriously, “Do I?” and he honestly felt he had right to say that. Sure, they had sex together, and Chris was pretty sure they had even made love before, but that didn’t tell him how Evan truly felt about him.

The outlaw blushed right to the roots of his hairline and Chris thought it was pretty damn adorable, his hands having to be removed to rest on Evan’s shoulders with a jokey quip about the other drying his hands like good sausage if he kept them there much longer. The blonde was ever-so-conscious that Evan had yet to answer him and so he took a breath and sighed, “Evan, look, it’s Ok—don’ worry about—“before he could even finish his comment warm, firm lips pressed against his own and effectively made his mind shut down for many moments as they parted.

“Chris… I’m pretty sure I love ya too.”

The effect those simple words had on Chris made Evan’s previous unease seem worthwhile; the smile that lit his face was so wonderfully proud, pleased, and yet tenderly vulnerable at the same time and Evan’s stomach did several bucks and loops like a wild bull as he considered it. Lordy, when did he become so whipped? “It’s… It wouldn’ be easy fer us t’be together, I know that much, but…” his tongue felt thick in his mouth, his words probably sounding horrendously awkward, but he had to persevere. “If ya want me t’stay, then… I’d like ta. I mean, I’d have to sort things out with my boys firs’ an’ all, but—“Evan didn’t get a chance to finish his question because Chris was bearing him down onto the bed and kissing the very breath out of his lungs, his head swimming from the sheer intensity of the embrace: it made everything that they had shared downstairs look like a chaste peck on the cheek. Though he was surprised, momentarily caught off-guard, he was quick to recover and return the passionate embrace.

When they broke apart Evan was flushed and swollen lipped, eyes wide as he looked up at Chris. The blonde was in an equally wanton state and Evan couldn’t resist letting out slightly hysterical laughter. No, maybe hysterical wasn’t the right word, but it was the only one he could think of. Concern covered Chris’ face, “Evan… are you alright?” Evan nodded his head, reaching a hand up and stroking Chris’ cheek, “Yeah, I’m good.” Actually, he was more than good. It was as though some weird weight had been lifted from him—one he hadn’t even been aware of until it was gone. Chris’ grin turned slightly more crooked, more cheeky, and Evan understood that the emotion had been emotionally taxing for the both of them, so it made sense that they should revert back to something that required less… thinking at least. Letting his lips descend upon Evan’s, Chris imparted one last piece of information to his lover, “I’ll take care of ya, no matter what.”

And Evan didn’t doubt the words. Chris would take care of him, that much he understood. It was going to be rough, and he didn’t have the faintest idea how he was even going to begin breaching this subject with his friends, but that was a thought for tomorrow. Tonight was about he and Chris, and that was all that mattered. Soon all thoughts were driven from Evan’s mind completely as Chris kissed over his body from head to toe, seeming to sear every inch of his skin with those amazing lips, Evan writing underneath him as his sensitised flesh was pleasured, but not in any way that would give him the friction that he needed. No matter how much Evan pleaded with him Chris wouldn’t change his course, or speed up, having too much fun watching the young outlaw underneath him writhing and pleading, a sensual demon that had enchanted him at first glance and stolen his heart around the same time. One way or another Chris was going to keep Evan there with him, get the man settled legitimately, and as far as he was concerned that would be it then; there would be no bad reputations or bounty hunters for his love to worry about.

~:~

It occurred to Randy that John might very well turn and leave him there after that (the man had looked damned infuriated with him) and Randy couldn’t let that happen. John might be angry but Randy stood by his sentiments: he hadn’t said anything that the other man didn’t want, and he knew that there was only a small part of John that was holding him back. In the back of his mind he was aware that when he left that would mean John was technically free of whatever sensual, primal feelings that might be binding them together and so could do what he wanted therefore, with whoever he wanted, but that didn’t matter. He would worry about that later… though truth be told he wasn’t too sure about whether John would indulge in other men or not, and he didn’t want to think about it even so. Pushing himself into a seated position he immediately pulled the brunette closer, uncaring about the surprised look he received.

“I know ya ain’t a bitch, Cena,” he said quietly, meeting John’s eyes, “If I wanted just some pliable bitch then I woulda found myself a woman or some pathetic little nancy-boy.”

John found it rather ironic that Randy could call someone else a nancy-boy when it all technical consideration they themselves were nancies. “That doesn’ mean a thing t’me, Orton,” John said stiffly, refusing to let himself be cowed into forgiving the man immediately; his pride was still stinging from the fact that his secretly hidden submissive side had been discovered so easily by someone who hadn’t really known him that well for that long.

“Oh really?” that slight smirk of Randy’s was back, eyes glimmering, and John’s own eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously and also when a small bolt of lust went through him at the expression.

“What’re ya doin’ Orton?” he asked lowly as Randy’s fingers began to undo his pants in return, a calloused palm suddenly enveloping his own hard erection and causing John’s hips to buck at the sudden sensation.

“I’m givin’ ya somethin’ back fer bein’ such a good boy, Cena,” Randy’s smirk widened as he saw the way the muscles in John’s jaw were working in anger at his words, that surprisingly innocent blush colouring the man’s fine cheekbones.

Well, what could Randy say? He liked riling John up, and he knew that before too long John was going to be more than amenable to what he had in mind, he just had to get the man back into the swing of things. With that thought in mind Randy began to move his hand up and down in slow, firm strokes, John’s fingers curling into the covers and restlessly tugging at them as he fought to keep from thrusting into the strong palm that felt so much better than his own ever had. The urge to rut like some uncivilised beast to get his own release was strong, but there was another part of him that was demanding Randy give him what he’d given in return.

Randy’s hot mouth met his neck, licking the scar that he possessed and humming quietly as he continued to work his palm. From his vantage point Randy could see that John was chewing on his bottom lip, head tilted back and eyes hooded, hips rocking just slightly into his palm and telling him all that he needed to know. The other was so close to giving in, he could sense it, and it would just take a little more persuasion. Nimbly, Randy worked at freeing John from his trousers properly, straddling his thighs. If John thought there was anything strange about the situation he didn’t say anything, his hips pumping with earnest now as he chased his second release of the night. However, when he hit that peak, Randy’s hand stopped, gripping him instead.

A whine of protest left John, eyes flying open as he looked to Randy. It was only then that he realised that the outlaw was naked from the waist down, his one hand gripping John and keeping him from coming as he sucked on three of his own fingers. The way John pulsed underneath his hand made Randy smirk slightly around his own fingers, the image becoming even more debauched than it had been when John had merely considered what Randy was going to do with those fingers. Then, he remembered that he was supposed to be angry with the other and immediately tried to dislodge the younger man from atop him. “N-No way Orton! The hell makes ya think I’m gonna letcha get anythin’ off of me after what ya—“he cut off as Randy’s fingers were drawn from his mouth.

“Oh, fuck!” Randy growled softly as he breached himself with one of his own fingers. To manage the action he had to twist his wrist unnaturally but he didn’t much care if he was honest. If he could he would have preferred that the sheriff was the one preparing him for what was to come (no pun intended) but you couldn’t have everything, could you? A second finger entered him and he growled as he awkwardly started scissoring them. Opening his eyes from where they had fallen closed Randy was confronted by a most welcome sight indeed: John, flushed and chewing on his swollen lips, shaft pulsing and growing closer to a red-purple with the sheer amount of blood that filled it, obviously straining to be inside of him. Well, never let it be said that the sheriff didn’t know how to make a man feel wanted. He didn’t bother with a third –though he knew John would be expecting him to and that he was cutting it close without it- and merely shifted himself so he was kneeling over John’s ready and waiting length. “Maybe this’ll inspire ya t’be forgivin’ me, sheriff…” he smirked.

He didn’t want forgiving for what he had done, not at all, because he had done something that he believed he was completely entitled and within rights to do, but he didn’t want John mad at him. Having sex whilst mad was fun on occasion, like the time by the trees had shown, but right now he’d much prefer if John would just let go and stop holding back from him. The thick head of John’s length breached him and Randy ground his teeth together at the flaring of pain that went through him. Before he –or John- could change their minds he sunk down on the other completely, his ass resting atop John’s thighs.

“Oh, sweet Jesus!” John cursed as his head thrashing somewhat as his hands scrabbled aimlessly before gripping onto Randy’s hips. The smart-ass comeback that he was sure Randy would come out with for his cursing never came, the outlaw’s eyes closed and his body completely still; some sort of living statue of lust and sin, tanned skin and muscle, erection hard and unwavering against his abdomen.

Brow furrowing somewhat John gave Randy’s hips a small squeeze, telling the other that he could back off if it really didn’t feel good to him, but before John could even think about getting the words out the outlaw was moving. Using his stunning thigh muscles Randy lifted himself off of John and then sank down again, bracing his hands on John’s solid chest for leverage as he started to bounce up and down in earnest. Garbled curses and moans left John, his nails cutting into Randy’s skin just slightly and leaving ten crescent-shaped marks behind… a gesture which was returned to John’s chest by the man over him. Locking eyes with the smoky blues of the man underneath him Randy repeated, “I don’ think of yeh as a bitch, Cena—“a devious smirk crossed though wicked lips and John knew he was probably not going to like what he heard next, but he was much too preoccupied with the man riding him to care, “---I just wanna make ya my whore whenever I can. That a problem, sheriff?”

John had a lot less of a problem with that than he would have believed. Had anyone else said something like that then he would have shoved them off him and kicked them out of the room without a second thought but with Randy, he had already shown that he was more than willing to take the kind of attitude he would never have thought he would. And Randy knew it and was so damned unrepentant that John should have been a lot madder with him than he really was.

Rather than reply immediately, he waited until Randy was sinking down onto him and suddenly thrust himself sharply upward, driving into the taller man and revelling in the loud, somewhat surprised cry that Randy gave. Randy’s eyes had fallen closed and he waited for them to open before smirking. “Right now, looks like ya my whore Orton. You’re the one ridin’ my cock ‘bout ta cum for the third time...”

Randy’s gaze turned sly and not stopping in his movements, he slid his hands over John’s sweat-slicked chest and pinched both nipples between his fingers, hard. John groaned, tipping his head back and speeding his movements. He’d been so damned close before Randy stopped him and now, he wasn’t going to be able to hold back long if Randy kept using moves like that one.

And Randy had a definite unfair advantage, given as how he’d not long since cum – although given the way his cock was standing to attention, it might not be too long before he did again. He seemed to realise it too, given that he was smirking. “I ain’t shy ‘bout admittin’ I’d be a whore fer you—“ His eyes caught John’s and he continued very deliberately sliding himself on and off John’s cock. “Anytime. Anyplace. You ain’t interested in that?”

John groaned, wishing that Randy would stop teasing him for five minutes and let him get off. Randy might be on the receiving end but he was still the one controlling the pace and driving John absolutely out of his mind with need. No one else had ever been able to exert this amount of control over him, in any part of his life and certainly not in the bedroom. “Fuck yeah!”

Randy chuckled slightly at the enthusiasm but it tapered off into a quiet moan as he slid back down onto John. “Then it ain’t a problem you bein’ my whore, right sheriff?”

 

John hesitated and Randy’s eyes narrowed a little, driving himself downward and clenching his muscles around John, eliciting a cry from the older man, that matched the one he involuntarily let out himself before he could stop it. John grabbed his hips, trying to urge him on further. “Okay!”

Randy rose until only the head of John’s erection was inside him and stopped moving, eyes positively glittering as he realised he was on the verge of getting what he wanted. “What’s okay?”

“Randy—“

“John.” Randy looked back at the sheriff, jaw set firmly as he tried to fight against what his body wanted in order to hear what he needed.

“I want—“ John gripped Randy’s hips harder, head thrown back, needing his release so badly that it almost hurt. “I want ya ta make me your whore.”

“Good boy.” Randy gave up all attempts at holding back at that moment, sinking back down onto John and focusing on his own pleasure, making damned sure that John’s cock hit his prostate with every movement, wrapping a hand around his own cock and starting to roughly jerk himself in time to his movements onto John. Through a haze he could see the older man beneath him, blue eyes fixed on the sight Randy was creating, a fine layer of sweat over his brow. Randy figured that John was practically on the edge...

He was right, the ministrations he’d given to the other man earlier in the night had their desired affects and combined with the intense stimulation and the vision of wanton perfection that Randy made atop him fairly catapulted John into orgasm. Biting his lip and drawing blood from the already abused skin there, he made a somewhat poor attempt at holding back his cry, using all his strength to pull Randy down onto him, bludgeoning himself as far into the other as was humanly possible to go and cumming so hard it felt like blissful death.

Randy’s eyes widened slightly at the feel of John’s release deep inside him – he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to the sensation, as intense as it was. He had been actively trying to draw himself to orgasm the whole time and the expression on John’s face and the way the man felt was exactly what he needed; a further two or three pumps of his hand and he was joining his lover, rocking back as he fell over the edge and unable to hold back the rather strangled sound of desire that fell from him as his climax covered his hand and stomach, pearlescent drops spattering over John’s skin as well.

Randy leaned forward as he fought to get his breath back, bracing himself on one hand and smiling down at John. “There, that wasn’t so hard to say, was it?”

 

“—I hate you.”

 

“Yeah, it shows,” replied Randy with a smug self-assurance, raising himself off John with a slight sigh of regret that they had to be parted. He probably should have prepared himself better, if he had to ride out the next day then he was going to feel every jolt that Venom gave and be tender as hell after a few miles, actively sore after twenty – but it had been worth every damned moment. He had no regrets.

He lay on his back on the bed beside John and after a moment, John rolled over and rested a hand on his stomach. Smiling to himself, Randy turned his head so that he could kiss John’s forehead, his arm stroking down the muscles of John’s arm. They traded insults and jibes all the time it sometimes seemed, but their actions said more than their words ever could.

Randy stroked down to John’s hand and twined it with his own, frowning slightly as he realised the skin was far rougher than it had been the night before. Picking up said hand so that he could examine it, he gave it a long look, then gave John a stern look. “You never said nothin’ ‘bout this.”

“It ain’t nothin’” replied John, barely even defensive given that he was so wiped out. Randy felt the same way, but he’d never forgive himself if John’s hands got infected – and it was clear from the scratches and dirt that John had those marks from being pressed up against a tree. He couldn’t have been careful under the circumstances but he should do something about it.

Getting out of bed, Randy headed for the towel he used that morning and dipped it into the jug of water they kept by the bed, giving John a frown when it looked like the other was about to get up. “Stay put,” he commanded, reaching for one of John’s hands and cleaning it off as best as he could. “Think I got some ointment lyin’ ‘round in case one of us takes a tumble’r somethin’...”

“Ain’t you a real woman ‘bout these things?” John teased, although he actually liked the attention. Randy was a lot of things and not all of them good, but one thing was, he was solicitous of those he cared for. John was secretly delighted to be included in that small circle.

“I shoulda been a doctor,” replied Randy with a smirk. “Free medical help, it’s one of the perks o’ bein’ my whore...” He whined slightly as John used his free hand to whack Randy on the back of the head, rubbing the afflicted spot with a fierce glare that John only laughed at. A moment later Randy smiled, shook his head and carried on with the task at hand.

 

It was a surprisingly surreal moment, what with Randy tending to his hands and all. Now that the other’s attention had brought the minor injuries to light he wanly noticed that they stung somewhat (and it was probably a good idea they were cleaning them) and he had obviously missed that fact because he had been more preoccupied in the meantime. The cream stung somewhat and he hissed a breath out between his teeth. Randy quirked a slight smirk at him and then winked as he teased, “Want me t’kiss it betta, Sheriff?”

John would have made some comment about having something else Randy could kiss, but he honestly wasn’t sure right then that he could go another round. When his hands were sorted and Randy released them John flexed his fingers somewhat. Even though the outlaw’s face was even and seemingly unconcerned, John sensed the unease within him and assured him lightly, “It was worth it, ya know, and it ain’t more’n a few scratches. I’m a big boy, I can handle it, alrigh’?”

The outlaw’s eyes hooded slightly and he smirked, eyes going down to John’s currently flaccid groin, “Oh, I know what a big boy ya’re Cena.” The sheriff blushed still which amused Randy greatly, but they both them merely got underneath the covers as Randy placed the items he had been using to tend to John away. The brunette was careful to try and refrain from touching Randy directly because he couldn’t imagine that the stuff would feel really nice covering him in a light layer of greasy, slightly minty smelling substance. Randy, by contrast, had no qualms about draping himself over the sheriff and settling down for a contented sleep. Even though their means and words might have seemed callous and unscrupulous the fundamental point was loud and clear: John belonged to him, regardless of what hand they might be dealt and how much time they would be apart. And he swore to God that if anyone went near John when he came back (oh, they’d come back one day, Randy knew it) then he’d find ‘em all and cut their dicks off with dull knives. Amused by his own thoughts and unwilling to break the companionable silence, Randy traced his strong fingers over John’s delicious abdomen, hearing the sheriff’s breathing eventually even out as he finally succumbed to sleep.

Lifting his head as he gazed down at John’s face a final time before leaning over to blow out the candle, Randy found it amusing to think that not minutes before he’d ridden John to a sensational climax and he had looked the perfect representation of a fallen angel, but now (despite bearing the marks of their recent debauchery) John looked like an innocent man just too old to be some good little choir-leading church-goer. Snickering to himself privately as he considered that he’d probably burst into flame in the face of all his sins should he ever feel the need to return to church, Randy yawned softly to himself and settled down. Much as he wanted to hang around he knew that they had been pushing it enough; tomorrow he would have to get his boys and ship out because the longer they stayed the more inclined he was to stay. Though the thought was undeniably tempting it was neither the right time nor the right place, and he had far too much hanging over his head to try and bring John down with him… many things he might be but he’d never willingly ruin John like that.

That night he remained happily sequestered in sleep, but John awoke early the next morning as usual despite how weary he was from their late night and vigorous activities leading up to that late night. Bringing a hand up (and noting that he needed to wash his hands of the cream from the night before, and that he had no gangrene or other unpleasantness so he deemed himself safe) he gingerly rubbed sleep from his eyes and looked at where Randy had somehow curled into his stomach in sleep. Biting his lip to try and stem a smile John thought that Randy looked positively saintly as he lay there with none of his usual haughtiness or smirks on his young face. Unsurprisingly though it was only after a few moments of being watched that Randy began to stir, eyes opening before closing as he mumbled, “Fuck, Cena, y’shouldn’ be gettin’ up so early unless I specifically tell ya to.”

Considering he was much too mellow to banter John merely let that comment pass. “It’s probably not as early as yeh’re thinkin’ it is, Randy,” John mused softly as he indicated the watery sunlight that was beginning to build through the gap in the somewhat threadbare curtains that covered the window. Randy sighed, scowling; Mother Nature hated him, he was sure.

Pushing himself into a seated position Randy scrubbed a hand over his own eyes. He pouted like a child as John pulled away from him and moved to the basin to get some water to clean his hands, missing the warmth the strong body provided. To compensate he spent a few more moments lounging in the spot that John had just vacated. John dried his hands and it was only when he was walking back towards the bed –well, technically his clothes which were scattered all to one side of the bed- that Randy noticed he was limping slightly. Oops, did he do that? The smirk that the outlaw wore was nothing short of male satisfaction on display and John felt himself actually blush; he didn’t need someone to point out to him what had brought that reaction on.

“Just wait until you try’n stand up,” that wiped the smirk off of Randy’s face and John would be lying if he didn’t say that he found that amusing in light of his own embarrassment. He managed to get himself cleaned up somewhat before he dressed, noting that Randy seemed as unhurried and reluctant as he himself did. Once they walked out of the bedroom that would be it… they would both go their separate ways and do what they needed to do. Sure, Randy hadn’t explicitly said that to him but John sincerely doubted that jealousy alone had been the primary motivation for last night’s alpha ambush.

Eventually they were both dressed and headed downstairs to get something to eat. John was about to ask whether they were going to wait for his boys, or what was going on, but Randy merely waved a hand and said that they would all turn up when they wanted to, knowing that was where they were supposed to go. This puzzled John somewhat but then he considered that they had a group dynamic that he knew nothing about and so he should merely accept what was said. Mercifully it was still early enough that the drinking punters from the night before weren’t hustling around the bar yet… meant that he and Randy didn’t have to put up too much pretence to hide the fact they were both limping. If need be they could both claim they had had separate accidents but how believable would that be? Entering the bar area they saw the Paul was at the counter and Randy cursed softly. John arched a brow underneath his hat and couldn’t hold the slight petulance of his murmured, “Lookin’ fer someone?” to say Randy was pleased and amused by this showing of territoriality was not a lie but he appeased the other, “His sister’s a lot easier an’ more amenable t’us than Paul ova there.”

John maintained an innocence and unconcerned air, as though he really didn’t care what Randy’s reasoning was—but Randy could see the slight blush on his cheeks that denoted he had realised he had been caught out. Randy went up to the bar to get them both menus (and a few more in case his boys showed, though of the two he was thinking more that they would need to fetch Evan) before taking them back to John. Paul had been eying him when he approached the bar and he could feel the man’s eyes burning into his back as he turned back; no doubt he thought Randy had had dalliances with his sister but this time around Randy could maintain total innocence. Had he not been there with John then chances were he might have sought the easy offer given to him. Speaking of easy offers… they still had yet to warn Cody about the fact that Layla had been on the hunt for him. Knowing their luck she would suddenly pop out of nowhere when they were preparing to leave. His hands tightened slightly around the menu, not as eager for Canada and freedom as he had once thought.

~:~

Ted awoke as soon as light started creeping in the window. Truth be known, he could have stayed fast asleep exactly where he was, body pressed against Cody’s back with the man’s hand twined in his, Cody breathing deep and even. But sleeping seemed like he was wasting time. He became aware of a steady ache in his backside that wasn’t altogether unpleasant and smiled almost gleefully to himself, a little reminder of the night before, had he needed one. Actually most of his muscles were aching but in a good way, the kind of ache that suggested the day had been filled with steady and worthwhile exercise, which in a way he supposed it had...

His smiled dimmed a little. He had no idea what dream had woken Cody the night before, only that he’d become aware of the outlaw starting to twitch and thrash, pulling Ted out of his sleep so that he could pull his lover into his arms and try to soothe him. It seemed to have worked and Cody hadn’t woken since he’d drifted off again, but still Ted was concerned. He didn’t know what Cody could find to dream of that would upset him so much and when he had woken, he had stared back at Ted as if he’d expected someone else... no, that wasn’t quite right. As if he hadn’t expected Ted to be there perhaps. And then when he’d clung to Ted afterward it had been almost as if Cody was checking that he was still there, still okay. That Ted wasn’t the dream.

It had scared him a little, at first he had thought that Cody was in pain or something and then when he worked out that he wasn’t, he hadn’t been sure how to react for the best. It had been over ten years since anyone had come to him after a violently frightening dream such as the one Cody had been seeming to have and back then he’d dealt with it by letting his little brother into the bed with him. But Cody wasn’t his little brother and he’d already been there. At least what Ted had done had seemed to calm the other, or maybe that was because he’d woken and realised all was well.

Moving slightly closer to Cody (and damn, had he ever had a more comfortable wakening in his life than the one he was having that morning?) he mulled over the words that Cody had said to him, heart quickening slightly at the remembrance. Cody had been so stumbling and shy while trying to tell Ted what he meant that Ted didn’t doubt the words were true. He didn’t know what had brought it on – he’d guess the nightmare had left Cody feeling vulnerable but he had no real proof of that – but he was glad Cody had said it. It was something he could treasure once Cody had ridden out of his life, that the outlaw had felt the same way for him as he did for Cody.

The thought of Cody leaving had him frowning again. If only there was some way to persuade him to stay... but that wasn’t the only problem of course. There was the little fact that he had his own life to return to as well, one that couldn’t be put on hold indefinitely. His father had already sent someone out after him to ensure that he wasn’t killed by the outlaws he was supposed to be helping John to catch and he knew that he should be writing a letter home that day to assure everyone he was okay – his mother was probably hysterical already, she could be very overprotective and she wasn’t the only one. Even if Cody stayed, what possible excuse could he give to explain his own continued absence? But even thinking that was moot; Cody would be crossing the border soon enough and Ted would have nothing at all to stay in Bone Orchard for. He needed to stop thinking the impossible and treasure the time they had.

Cody shifted slightly and Ted held his breath, not wanting to wake the man before it was absolutely necessary. It had been a difficult night and he supposed as well that Cody didn’t get much opportunity to get a good night’s sleep – on the rare occasions he’d been forced to share with his brothers, they had kicked the hell out of each other in their sleeps and that had been back when they were kids. It would be ten times worse as adults in the same bed and the only alternative Cody had was sleeping outside. Ted owed it to him to make this night a peaceful one.

His good intentions were ruined when Cody turned over, blinking his eyes half-open and smiling sleepily back at Ted. With a rueful smile of his own, Ted accepted that he hadn’t done as good a job as he would have liked keeping Cody asleep, but that was okay. As much as he liked having Sleeping Cody beside him, he preferred the waking version.

“Mornin’ Teddy—“ Cody paused a moment, his eyes flickering before the expression was gone and he wriggled closer to Ted, moving a hand up to stroke the blondes face. Ted didn’t know what that look had meant but Cody seemed almost pensive about something. He almost frowned but stopped himself; he didn’t want Cody to be troubled about anything, not as long as he could help it.

“Mornin’ Cody.” He hadn’t taken his arm from around the other as Cody turned and Ted allowed his hand to rest in the small of Cody’s back, marvelling slightly at the contours that separated muscled back from the curve of his ass – an ass that might well be as achy as his own, although Cody apparently had more experience in this kind of thing and it might be something to do with his lack thereof. “You okay?”

Cody nodded slightly. “Are you? Not too sore or nothin’ are ya?”

 

“Maybe a little,” accepted Ted, but his smile didn’t drop and a moment later Cody was chuckling along with him. “You sleep well enough?”

“Yeah, once I dropped back off.” Cody paused a moment then looked directly into Ted’s eyes. “You are okay... right Teddy? You ain’t just sayin’ that?”

 

“I meant it,” replied Ted softly, wondering if he’d been right when he thought that Cody’s dream had something to do with him. The other seemed very solicitous of him that morning and he didn’t think it was entirely because he was waking up without his virginity. Leaning in, he kissed Cody’s lips in what was supposed to be a soft, reassuring gesture. But as was so often the case between them it quickly grew into something more, passionate and needy, like the taste of one another was the very fuel they needed to stay alive.

“Mmm, Teddy,” sighed Cody when they finally parted for air. Ted realised that he could feel Cody’s cock pressed against his thigh, half-hard and getting more so all the time. Just being able to feel that nakedness against his own made him blush to the roots of his hair, but he didn’t pull away. Considering where else that incredible length had been and how he’d been all but begging for it, he shouldn’t be coming over all bashful at this stage. Especially given how he was in a similar state himself.

Cody was still holding on to him as Ted allowed his hand to finally stroke over the curve of the others ass, a little tentatively but without the hesitation he would have shown even the night before. Cody had reassured him that he needed Ted, wanted his touch. Ted wasn’t entirely sure of everything he was doing but he knew that Cody was something special and he needed to make damned sure he was indelibly printed on the others mind.

“Teddy,” said Cody, rather unconvincingly trying for stern. “I oughtta be meetin’ up with the guys fer breakfast and I bet that John wants ta make sure you ain’t been kidnapped and ransomed or nothin’.”

If his intention had been to make Ted back up and blush before informing the blonde that he was teasing, then he would have been disappointed – although he certainly didn’t look disappointed to Ted. The other had worried him badly the night before and with all his thoughts about having to leave soon, he wanted to give Cody some reassurance of his own, that Cody meant more to him than he could say, the way that Cody had told him the night before. “It’s early, we got time,” he said, gently pushing Cody onto his back and then leaning over him, uncertain but still determined. “This time, let me take care of you.”

Well, how could he say no to that, really?


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Leaving The Life On The Trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan makes an announcement that startles his friends, and Chris takes Ted and John aside to talk about the issue that is Hunter Hearst Helmsley...

Cody shivered as Ted’s lips brushed over his jaw; the blonde was a quick learner, he’d give him that, because although there was still some underlying trepidation in him he was much more assured than he was before. And, really, Cody couldn’t fault him; after all they had experienced together Ted wasn’t the man he credited him for if he really didn’t see his own appeal and charms now… not to mention his physical attributes. There was a part of him that was scolding himself for teaching Ted such things (he doubted they would be used upon others in his absence but he was a jealous man by nature and he did not like the thought of sharing Ted even slightly) because he wasn’t going to be around to reap the benefits for a long time… suddenly all thoughts of Canada and a life without a proverbial noose over his head seemed a weak exchange to make for Ted and being able to be with him. In reality though he knew that they could not be together; not only did they come from different lifestyles, and somewhat different classes, they were both very much male and any untoward behaviour from them both would be caught and latched onto by gossiping vultures if they attempted to remain together. And, just because Cody could see the logic in the situation it didn’t mean that he liked it even slightly; he’d damn all their thoughts to hell if it wouldn’t place Ted at risk to do so.

The dream he had had the night before flashed through his mind and Ted noticed the change in Cody’s eyes—it was the same look he had carried during his nightmare, and Ted was determined to remove it. Catching Cody’s lips with his own he contented himself by kissing the luscious mouth he’d been entranced with since the first time he’d seen the outlaw before he then began kissing down his neck once more. Though he knew there was very little chance of them having time for full intercourse (and damn it, didn’t he wish they did? Already the thought of being bereft from Cody was making his chest ache and he had the horrible feeling that before too long their nights together would seem like little more than beautiful dreams to him) he was going to give Cody something that he hoped would further cement his place in the outlaw’s heart. Already he had acquiesced to the knowledge that he had lost his own heart to Cody upon the first moment the man had walked into the bank, ridiculous as the situation was and regardless of how long it had actually taken him to notice, and he didn’t much care—as far as he was concerned Cody was the only one who would have his heart.

As his mouth enveloped Cody’s right nipple the ravenette mewed low in his throat, gorgeously long fingers curling into his hair and drawing him closer, an action that Ted heeded without so much as a moment’s pause. His tongue traced around the nub, feeling it growing harder and stiffer in his mouth with each action… much like he could feel their shafts respectively getting harder and growing to complete erectness just from being near one another, brushing accidentally or on purpose to further fan the fire of their ardour. Reluctantly breaking his contact with Cody’s nipple –and hearing the small sound of protest- Ted then immediately focused his attention upon the other nipple and bit down on it tentatively but with firm force. Cody gasped and convulsed lightly, legs falling open further, silently and undeniably coaxing Ted to take up his position between them, which he did—they both moaned low in their throats as their members rubbed together.

Moving from Cody’s nipples Ted then held three fingers to his lover’s lips; had it not been for the burning blush taking over his cheeks Cody might have been persuaded into thinking they had been together many many times before because Ted was a natural at playing his body just the right way to garner the right reactions. Locking eyes with the blonde over him Cody took the fingers into his mouth and began to suckle on them and lathe them with saliva, undeniably being a little cheeky with his tongue in the process, coiling it around each of the three digits and dipping it into the crease of flesh that separated each. Unsurprisingly Ted was breathing rather hard when he drew his hand back and Cody swore that merely one touch from Ted was all he was going to need to bring him over the edge. Swallowing slightly, Ted positioned himself so that he was leant over Cody, their shafts almost touching –if he leant forward just a bit more- but giving him access to Cody’s entrance too.

With the same care as when he had lost his virginity to Cody in the dominant position Ted worked in one saliva slickened digit, and then another and another after working each one carefully in its own right and waiting for Cody’s say-so before continuing. It was only when the beautiful vixen underneath him began writhing and bucking wantonly on his fingers that he leant down that short distance and began to grind their weeping arousals together. Cody was in sensual agony, both wanting to be brought off by Ted’s dick and fingers and yet wanting to have the fingers removed to be replaced by said dick to bring him off instead... hands grasping at the lightly perspiring flesh of Ted’s back Cody forced himself to open his eyes—and found himself met with Ted’s adoring awestruck stare.

Though Ted was as inflamed and as impassioned as Cody he held a serious undercurrent of tension within him that Cody was hard pressed to ignore even as Ted’s rutting and fingers had him going wild with ecstasy. Before he could even begin to consider formulating words with his vocal-chords, Ted’s voice was sounding over him, breathless and pleading and oh-so-very beautiful that Cody wanted to weep from sheer humility as he continued to shamelessly ride Ted’s hand with the same enthusiasm that he had ridden him with. “Don’t forget me, Cody—“Ted knew that he truthfully had no right to bring such a request upon the other as they technically owed one another nothing, but he couldn’t help it. The chances of Cody remaining celibate and without sexual company when they parted was slim and that bothered Ted but what bothered Ted more was the prospect of being replaced in Cody’s mind and heart.

They’d not said it, sure, but Ted could feel it, knew they both could. Their hips began to take on a greater urgency now, spurred on by both Ted’s words and their needs and the looks in one another’s eyes. “I won’ Teddy—“Cody panted, perspiration trickling down the hard planes of his chest from the smooth column of his throat, “I won’, oh, fuck—!” his body was beginning to tauten, the muscles around his fingers flexing and attempting to draw him in further as he finally got that spot he had been searching for in a merciless rhythm. Only when Ted had made Cody swear one more time that he wouldn’t forget him did he let the young man cum—and not a moment too soon because he couldn’t hold on. They collapsed together and revelled in the aftermath, sticky and undeniably sated and yet unable to ignore the overwhelming knowledge that that day could very well be the day they parted from one another for God-only-knew-how-long.

Their cleaning and dressing was slow (hands and mouths hindering more than helping) but just as folks were beginning to stir from their beds he and Ted made their way from Wade’s saloon (Cody not recognising the young coloured fellow at the bar with Wade) back to the Burchill’s. So badly did he want to take Ted’s hand in his, to reassure him, but he couldn’t; instead they had to contend themselves with merely walking close together. Entering the saloon they spotted John and Randy immediately, a surprising amount of food being delivered to the table. It was only when they approached that Randy looked up and Cody realised there was more than two settings in the food, that was why. Dropping himself into the chair with Ted beside him, Cody tipped his hat, “Mornin’ boys, get everythin’ worked out didja?”

“Yup,” replied Randy amicably, digging into his meal with only a slight glance at the place where Evan would be sitting... when he finally showed up. Randy supposed he should have known for certain that Evan and Chris had been involved back then, he’d certainly had an inkling but Evan had seemed at loathe to discuss it and it had seemed unlikely at the time that they would ever be back in town. But they were and from the way Evan had honed straight in on Chris again, it had been more than a transient thing. If he had realised then he might have chosen somewhere else to go – but then again, this was the safest place for them.

Evan was taking his sweet time and Randy got increasingly irritated as the meal went on and there was still no sign of the outlaw. They had taken a chance on getting Cody and Ted food, but hadn’t bothered with Chris, since it was unlikely that the mayor would want to be seen fraternising with them bar the occasional greeting and maybe a few pleasantries, but Evan’s breakfast was still there and Randy was just considering eating that too, just to teach Evan a lesson, when the door opened and Evan breezed in. Randy looked up with some plan of making a sarcastic comment, then paused. Evan was positively glowing and although there were those things that seemed to make him light up – the aftermath of one of his suicidal risks for example – he could honestly say he had never seen Evan with quite such a look on his face.

“Glad y’could join us,” he said wryly, pushing his plate aside and reaching for a tin cup of water, the Burchill’s not believing in anything fancy. “Good night was it?”

Evan grinned at him and then started attacking his food as if he hadn’t been fed in a month. “The best,” he said through a mouthful of bacon. “Hey Codes. Sheriff. Mr Smith.”

John and Ted murmured their greetings although it was clear that Evan wasn’t really seeing them, his attention on Randy and Cody. “How’s you guys?” The subtext was clear; you in a better mood this morning Randy?

“Good,” replied Randy, almost warily. There was something about Evan that was on edge, cagy, and that wasn’t like Evan at all. He could think of only one thing that would put Evan in such a mood and he didn’t think Evan was stupid enough to go there. He didn’t think Chris was stupid enough to let him... but people did strange things when they were infatuated.

There was momentary quiet while everyone finished, Evan catching up to Ted’s rather careful speed of eating. Evan mopped up the remnants on his plate with a rather substandard piece of cornbread but he’d long since learned that any food was good food and to take what he could get. “Actually guys, we need to talk ‘bout somethin’.”

John read the emotional weather that had suddenly come across the table and rose. “C’mon Ted, we oughtta go check on Hustle and Penny. They’ll be wond’rin’ where we’ve gotten to.”

Nodding, Ted gave Cody a lingering look and a quick smile as he stood, hoping that whatever the conversation was about, that if it led to Cody leaving the outlaw would come find him before he went – he hadn’t really reconciled himself to having to leave Cody behind but he couldn’t bear it if they didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye. Cody smiled back and Ted obediently followed John out of the door. The three outlaws watched them leave and then attention was turned back to Evan.

“What is it we gotta talk about Ev?” asked Randy. Anyone else might have thought his tone conversational, but Evan had known him long enough to realise that the congeniality was merely a cover for potential anger.

Evan took a deep breath. “I ain’t leavin’. When you guys ride out, I mean. I’m stayin’ here.”

“Ev!” Cody’s face was shocked, showing betrayal that he was wholly unaware of.

Randy’s jaw twitched once or twice, but his tone remained neutral. “I take it the mayor had somethin’ ta do with the decision?”

“He asked me,” Evan admitted. “He wants me to stay here, with him, he – he loves me. He promised to look out for me. I know it ain’t gonna be out in the open or nothin’ but...”

He shook his head, suddenly frustrated by his inability to explain just what he meant. “We’ve been movin’ from place to place since we lit outta St Louis. I ain’t had a place ta call home since I was eleven. I finally found somewhere I wanna be with a man I wanna be with. I wanna stop roamin’.”

He glanced at Cody, whose expression was suddenly unhappy and Evan thought he saw something akin to envy in Cody’s wide blue eyes. He could understand it, sympathise with it. Cody might argue with him, but he would not try to force Evan into doing something he didn’t want to. Randy however was much more forceful, more persuasive. More ruthless.

Randy was silent for a moment, then leaned on the table, fixing Evan with his eyes. “That’s nice Ev and I get what you want, really. But you ain’t thought none o’ this through, have ya? It ain’t like we’re headin’ for the border because we ain’t got noplace else to go. There are people after us. There’s been a bounty hunter right here, in Bone Orchard, ready to take us down with a bullet to the head and you know well as I do that Chris might not be able ta save ya if another one shows. We are wanted men Ev, that’s what ya keep forgettin’ and it might not be like we’re wanted fer murder but it ain’t small potatoes neither. The three of us, we’re supposed ta be headed for safety, like we planned! We’ll be over the border and then we stop roamin’ awhile. A year, two, we’ll come back, when everyone’s forgot all ‘bout us and then we’ll stop by here and...”

 

“No.” Evan’s voice was quiet but firm. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere. I told ya, I’m stayin’ here.”

“You can’t.” Randy was starting to sound pissed off. “You stay here, you got a good chance of bein’ taken down.”

“I know the risks, so don’t talk ta me like I’m a child.”

Randy leaned back heavily in the chair. “I ain’t tryin’ ta, but ya seem ta be forgettin’ that this ain’t no game that ya can call time on when ya had enough. Ya stay here and ya get recognised, even Chris ain’t gonna be able ta get ya outta that mess.”

“Maybe not, but—“ Evan bit his lip a moment. “He’ll buy me time if I need it, he’ll do what he can. I can light on outta here if it happens. And it might not. Ya know it might not. Like ya said, we ain’t killers like some and if you guys are goin’ on without me and they’re lookin’ for three of us...” He sighed. That was the worst part of his decision. Not the threat of discovery, but that his friends would be leaving him behind and there was a part of him, the part that thrived on the adrenaline that their adventures brought, that wanted to be going off with them and being a part of that. He had never thought of himself as the kind of person to stay in one place, he had never considered it, never wanted it. And yet, he was giving up everything for it.

“I know where you’ll be layin’ low,” he added. “That happens, I’ll come lookin’.”

“You mean it,” said Cody disbelievingly. “You’re really gonna do it? Stay? What about us Ev? We’re supposed ta be a team!”

“Cody—“ Evan pressed his lips together as he looked at his friend. “I know. And I’m sorry. But I gotta do this. Every time we rob a bank or stop in some town we might be recognised in, that’s a risk. This is just – a different kind of risk.”

Sighing, Cody looked at the table. “Won’t be the same without you. Won’t be right.”

 

“I’m gonna miss you guys too,” said Evan, unsurprised but slightly worried to find the lump in his throat at the thought.

“Hey, we ain’t made no decision ‘bout him stayin’ yet,” Randy started.

“This ain’t up for a vote Randy. I’m sorry, but it ain’t. This is ‘bout me and I’m stayin’ right here.”

Evan’s dark eyes met Randy’s stormy grey-blue ones. Randy could stare a hole into most people but Evan knew Randy too well and for too long to be much intimidated. And he wasn’t going to change his mind over this one, something Randy had to have realised already. This would be one battle that the older man lost.

Eventually Randy let out a sigh, resting his elbows on the table again. “Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do. One more day Ev, and we’re pushin’. See if ya can’t get this bullshit outta your system and then the three of us’ll get outta here.”

“I ain’t gonna change my mind,” Evan repeated, then looked a little shy. “But I wouldn’t mind if ya stayed around a while with me. This ain’t somethin’ I didn’t think about an dI’d be lyin’ if you two weren’t my main reason as to goin’. But Chris—“ He shook his head. “I can’t explain it.”

“Hope he knows how much yer puttin’ on the line stayin’ around.”

“He does,” Evan reassured him. “And it ain’t even that. This time, I couldn’t bring myself to leave.”

Randy pulled his tobacco from his pocket and started to roll a smoke, wishing he’d never decided to go back to Bone Orchard.

~:~

“Hey Justin,” Chris said as he saw the young man behind the bar, Justin jumping a little and then grinning at Chris, slightly embarrassed to have been taken by surprise. “I’m lookin’ fer Sheriff Cena, or Mr Smith, you know where they might be?”

“They ate somewhere else,” Justin told him. “But they returned and went to the stables. It wasn’t long ago, they should be there still.”

“Thanks.” Chris glanced around the bar. “Wade treatin’ ya right?”

“He’s been very great,” said Justin with a subtle but noticeable lift in mood. “I’m enjoying working here Mayor.”

“Yeah, wait ‘til the weekend,” said Chris with a wink. “Might be throwin’ back a few myself and yer job gets pretty tough when ya gotta give me the bums rush.” Justin looked mildly alarmed and Chris chuckled. “I promise ta behave. If I gave you a hard time, Wade’d probably kick my ass. I’m goin’ out ta the stables.”

He walked out of the saloon, there being no way to get directly to the stables unless one was staff and although he didn’t think Justin would stop him, he wasn’t quite so filled with his own importance as to do so. As he exited the saloon he looked down the street and frowned. Hunter was just stepping out of the bank. He didn’t think the blonde had seen him, but he wasn’t feeling entirely comfortable given that the man seemed to have some kind of agenda he didn’t know about. With a slight frown, he made his way around the back of the saloon to the stables, planning to ask Cena just what the conversation with Helmsley had entailied and not sure at all that he would get any kind of honest answer. The man struck him as a straight arrow, but that didn’t mean he would be loose-lipped and that he’d apparently come into town on the heels of the three outlaws whom Chris had a definite interest in was reason enough to be wary of him. And Mr Smith was a complete mystery.

As it happened, Hunter didn’t see Chris outside the saloon, he wasn’t looking in the man’s direction. He was usually in the town once a week to take care of any business, going first to the bank and then to anywhere else he needed to, taking care of bills in the grocery store and picking up the mail. He supposed he could have someone else do it, but he didn’t want to be a complete stranger in town and he liked getting away from the house, even though his business was mundane. But Bone Orchard was such a small place, so filled with small minds, a lack of ambition and a certain mule-like stubbornness. He hadn’t thought it would be such a difficult job to get what he wanted done, but he was encountering problems everywhere. The bank, Mickie James, Chris Jericho, all causing problems.

Not that he couldn’t overcome problems but he was getting impatient and annoyed with waiting. He didn’t like to wait and those who got in his way often found him to be vindictive.

He spied Shawn heading his way – Shawn knew that he’d be in town that morning and had probably guessed that his mood would not be good. Not after the night before, when Cena had turned them down flat and walked out. He wasn’t used to being denied and yet in Bone Orchard, it seemed to be happening all the time.

“Hey Hunter,” said Shawn with a cheer that wasn’t reflected in his eyes, and with good reason. When Hunter was pissed, he made damned sure that everyone around him suffered.

“Shawn,” said Hunter, rather shortly. “Hey, question. If somethin’ happens to the mayor, who’s in charge in the meantime?”

Shawn shook his head slowly, thinking it over. “I guess that’d be me, at least for a day or so,” he replied thoughtfully. “Then there’d be someone new appointed to the task.”

 

“Elections?”

“All the menfolk between eighteen and sixty, ‘less they’re criminal or crazy.”

“Right.” Hunter considered it. “Who’s likely to stand and get voted, if that was the case?”

Shawn tilted his head as he considered the question. “John Morrison might, he’s civic-minded and with it bein’ an emergency and all, I reckon someone’d nominate him and he’d get plenty o’ support. Might not want it though, seein’ as how he got a farm of his own ta run. Lotta folk like Wade Barrett but again, business ta run and with him bein’ English and all I don’t know that he’d be able ta stand. Um, there’s couple other guys but I’d reckon on Morisson bein’ the frontrunner.”

“And you reckon he’d be interested in bein’ smart?”

Shawn shook his head, more definitely this time. “Nuh-uh. Ain’t gonna be interested.”

Hunter frowned. “But he’s not likely to stand anyway. What we need is someone who is and who stands a chance of winnin’. The mayor holds plenty o’ say-so in the town business and with the right person, everyone else’ll just fall into line.”

“I might be the next one in line for the job, given as how I’m the next authority figure in town,” said Shawn thoughtfully. “But then, we’d need a new sheriff.”

“Shame we couldn’t talk Cena into bein’ smart.”

Shawan gave a rather dark smirk. “Think I might know a little more about Sheriff Cena than I did last night. Might even be enough so’s he’d cooperate and hell, if he got rewarded too it might be more than enough to make him glad he stumbled ‘round these parts.”

Hunter gave Shawn a rather curious look but the sheriff didn’t elaborate and Hunter didn’t really want to discuss it in detail in the middle of the street, even if there was no one around.

“But I think you’re forgettin’ something Hunter,” said Shawn, although he was certain that Hunter hadn’t ‘forgotten’ anything, the man was far too smart for that. “Mayoral elections ain’t ‘til November and ain’t no one stood against Chris before, not since the first time. Folks ‘round here like him too damned much ta want anyone else around.”

Hunter smiled, but there was nothing humorous about it and for a moment, Shawn was chilled. “Think we can have somethin’ happenin’ earlier than that. Trust me, Chris Jericho ain’t gonna be a problem too much longer.”

~:~

“Look,” Evan said, looking first to Randy who was focusing unnaturally hard on his cigarette, and then to Cody who was scowling mulishly at the table-top. “Guys, yeh’re the best thing ta even happen t’me, ya know that—I wouldn’ like t’think where I’d be today without youse, but this…” Evan shook his head, chocolate eyes solemn as he regarded the two, knowing they were subtly looking at him, “But I lo—really care for the mayor.” The slip was caught by the pair and he knew it because both of their heads snapped up, eyes levelled upon him. Fighting the urge to cringe he scolded himself; he had no reason to be ashamed, love –even love like theirs- wasn’t shameful.

Randy’s face was deadpan but Evan could see something in the man’s eyes as he lit his cigarette and stuck it deftly between his lips, “Ya love ‘im?” their voices were low, life on the run teaching them to be conscious of their surroundings in public even when they thought they were relatively alone and safe to speak freely.

Feeling a flush crawling up his cheeks Evan sent the other a slightly challenging look, daring him to make some comment, “Yes. I love ‘im. I did since the firs’ night I was wi’ ‘im, an’ now I got the chance t’stay wi’ ‘im I ain’t gonna risk that by throwin’ it back in his face. I won’ know unless I try.” He was defensive, determined, but he didn’t want the two men to hate him, they had to understand; they were like his family and it would break his heart even if it didn’t change his mind should they leave on bad terms with him.

Cody looked at Randy, obviously uncertain about the situation and so naturally deferring back to Randy as their unofficial leader. There was still a low flame of jealousy burning in his eyes but at the same time he felt awful for begrudging to the other. Hell, if Ted turned around and asked him to move back to wherever he was from to live with him he figured he’d be so very hard-pressed to say no to him. And… deep down he felt that Randy was jealous too, aside from his logical objections, because he wanted the same thing with sheriff John.

“One more day,” Randy finally repeated after a few minutes of contemplative, brooding silence, smoke rings emitting from between his firm lips at regular intervals. Cody sent him a small look and Randy rolled his eyes before then reaching into his pocket and fetching out the necessary material needed to make another cigarette; his long fingers completing the task easily before he handed the cigarette to Cody. As the other fumbled in his own pockets for matches Randy snorted softly and Evan sighed before pulling out his own box (you never knew when you might need them and it wasn’t unusual to lose things on their continual journeys) and then striking one. For a moment Cody eyed him and Evan internally sighed and winced; was he really doing to be so petty as to ignore the light he was offering? After a few terse moments wherein Cody stared him out the ravenette then took the light.

“Don’ know how impressed Mr Smith’d be t’see ya smokin’,” he teased lightly, hoping to try and ease the atmosphere between them all somehow. Around the cigarette Cody’s lips quirked into the slightest of smiles before he sobered again. Though Evan was touched that they would fight so hard to keep their little group together he couldn’t deny that he was somewhat enraged about the fact that they were being so pig-headed about something that obviously meant something to him. Sure, he was an impulsive character by nature, but he was never impulsive when it came to his emotions; they had been locked up tighter than tart’s boudoir for a good long while now to anyone that wasn’t Randy or Cody. Chris had been the first man he had taken a true interest in and the fact that the man had remained on his mind and in his heart for so long told him all that he needed to know… he should have known that Randy and Cody wouldn’t have taken this lying down. He sighed heavily to himself.

Evan had arranged to see Chris again later so he would tell him about this development. He would assure the blonde that his mind wasn’t about to change (though he was serious when he said he was serious about following if something went down that would cause him such a degree of harm and Chris couldn’t help him) but that he owed it to his friends to at least play along with their whims and suchlike. As the other two men smoked Evan took the chance to finish his drink and wondered whether he was daring enough to go for seconds in his meal; he’d briefly snacked on an apple on his way there, and the meal itself had been filling, but he was still damned hungry… and when he got hungry he got cranky. Actually, to be fair, he got a little cantankerous when he was aroused and was being teased—something that Chris seemed to find amusing.

Eventually the cigarettes were stubbed and the tension returned once more. Without really meaning to Evan started to tap his fingers atop the table as he chewed on his lip, obviously anxious. He didn’t like the fact that they were angry with him but he knew what he wanted, and in his heart he knew they would support him. It was a shock and they needed time to calm down that was it. He hoped that Randy (or Cody) didn’t seek Chris out to have a go at him about this because he hadn’t made Evan do anything. Sure, if he had said no then chances were he and Chris would have parted then and there on that sentiment with one last wicked and passionate encounter to cement their amazing relationship, but he would have made the choice on his own merit just like this time around. “Let’s go fer a ride,” Randy said suddenly as he stood up and stretched.

For a moment Evan felt his stomach bottom-out; what if they tried to leave? Almost as soon as thought had come to him though he banished it and slapped himself because they would never do that to him. Obviously sensing his apprehension Cody was the one to murmur softly, “Hey, we’ve given ya yer day, ya know our word is our bond,” and, crooked though they may be, that was true. They had proved it to Ted, hadn’t they even upon their first meeting?

“I knew that,” Evan protested, Cody arching a brow.

Paying their tab they walked out of the bar together, heading to where their horses were resting from their morning feed and watering. Venom was stamping her hooves on the floor agitatedly as they approached and although she eyed Cody and Evan with the same dark look that she always did she did little more than butt Randy’s shoulder with her nose as he patted her neck. Giving their own horses greeting pats Evan and Cody swung themselves into the saddles with practised ease, Randy already leading Venom out around the backs of the houses to head out into the open ground. They wouldn’t go far but riding always cleared his head, and he could admit that he had been neglecting his faithful horse a little because he had been wrapped up in… other riding.

It was a strange subdued atmosphere that surrounded them as they walked out of the town and then broke into gallops once they hit open ground. Evan had sworn that he had seen a flash of blonde as they passed by the back of the main street, but he figured it was his mind playing tricks on him because he was thinking about Chris so strongly. In truth he was still having trouble distinguishing last night as reality as opposed to a sweet dream.

Soon no words were exchanged between them and each was lost to his own thoughts. The three riders moved with practised grace atop their mounts, horse and rider seeming almost like one entity. Randy and Venom were way out in front but they both left him to it. Neither Evan nor Cody would honestly recall a time when they had seen Randy as worked up as he had been the previous night—unless you counted the day John was shot. Each and every time it somehow led to John. Cody, somewhat before Evan though keeping more pace with him, was reflecting on all he had experienced with Ted. In their short time together Ted had bloomed, grown, and he felt humble to have contributed to the fact.

Could he handle leaving? Of course he couldn’t, but he had to. He had to save himself and Ted… a shiver ran down Cody’s spine as he recalled the dream that he had had. Everyone said that the Indians believed that dreams held secrets and ideals that you yourself might not be aware of, truths that you wouldn’t acknowledge in other circumstances—and at the prospect of just how much damage he would cause to Ted by careless actions had him inclined to believe it. God, he was glad neither of the others could see into his mind otherwise they would be laughing themselves silly over it. Cody was pulled from his thoughts as he noticed he and Cody had pulled quite a bit ahead of Evan though the other wasn’t going especially slow, and the symbolism in the simple action had his throat clogging with emotion.

~:~

In the stables John and Ted were tending to their horses. “I’m sorry Penny girl,” Ted mused, holding out an apple he had managed to procure from the local grocer on their way back from dinner with the three outlaws. If Penny had been intending to sulk and ignore him the apple seemed to sweeten her up because she immediately took it from his hand and contentedly crunched on it.

Across from him John was kneeling on the floor, a cloth in one hand and a small tub in the other. “What’s that?” Ted asked curiously as he moved to get water from the pump near them into the trough directly below it.

“Just a little somethin’ that my brother cooked up that helps ya horse’s hooves keep from gettin’ too battered out on the trails.” Seeing Ted’s curious and contemplative look John offered, “Ya can borrow some to try on yer mare if ya like once I’m done wi’ Hustle.”

“Thanks,” Ted said sincerely. Though he knew he had been neglecting Penny somewhat and fully intended to give her a nice pampering that day, he couldn’t deny he was latching onto the activities with more aplomb than usual because it meant his mind was taken from a certain outlaw. What had they been about to talk about when they had left? He hadn’t noticed anything odd, honestly hadn’t thought about moving away from Cody, but when John had spoken it would have hardly been the done thing to try and remain there he realised now.

“So, um,” Ted blushed somewhat as he realised that he was about to be rather bold, “Did you an’ Randy manage to get things cleared up between ya? He was awful worried.” Though he had had a glimpse of that past their alpha-showing last night it was weird to have someone else confirming it from a potentially unbiased perspective. John didn’t turn his attention to him actively but Ted could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was listening.

“We sorted things out,” John conceded after a few minutes of silence. At least, he thought that they had sorted things out to some degree. How long it would last or what effects it would have on their future, both together and their separate futures, he had no idea.

“Didja have some kind of disagreement with Randy, sheriff?” came a curious voice from outside of their duo and John immediately straightened up, rounding on the newcomer. Ted had tensed equally with surprise, but when he realised who it was he found himself relaxing; he liked Mayor Jericho, especially after finding he was no fan of Hunter’s and that he was doing all he could to help the lady who had her father’s farm and all that

“Good mornin’, Mr Mayor,” John greeted slowly, recovering from his reaction to him.

“Didn’ mean t’startle ya, fellas,” Chris apologised lightly and they waved off his words. As the two men continued to tend to their horses Chris leant against an old hay holder and watched them. Riding he could do, obviously, because travelling everywhere by carriage was just odd and rather pretentious, but he wasn’t a massive fan who sought to do it often. “Those are beautiful horses,” he complimented and the owners smiled at him. “Actually, aside from wonderin’ what Randy did to piss you off, I did have an agenda for comin’ to see ya, sheriff.”

“Am I in bother?” John asked suddenly, brow arching.

Chris immediately held his hands up and shook his head, “Sheriff—“he found himself cut off as John insisted that he call him by name, making Chris smile just slightly and return that he should at least call him Chris then, returning to his previous train of thought, “—I heard that Mr,” he gave the usual title as though it was something offensive, “Helmsley,” neither Ted nor John seemed to chastise him for his tone so he reckoned the man had made a solid impression of his true self and his manner upon them somehow, “And I was just wonderin’ whether you’d mind filling me in on what he wanted you for.”

There was a part of John that wanted to tell Chris to push off and mind his own business but the other part was really worried for the safety of the young lady with the farm; Hunter had seemed pretty damned determined about getting that land somehow, with or without John’s potential input. Though he couldn’t see what the farm might hold for Hunter, considering he lived way, way out of town and had more than enough free land around him for real-estate, he didn’t believe the man was going to let her have an easy time of it. As of yet he hadn’t had chance to tell Ted what had happened pre Randy accosting him, but he knew that he was going to have no choice as to do it then and there since he couldn’t very well send him away. “He offered me a… proposition,” John’s jaw was tight, a muscle jumping in his cheek, “Of work.”

Chris’ brow furrowed, “What kinda proposition?” that wasn’t exactly usual; it was pretty obvious neither Ted nor John was intending to stay in the area in the long-haul, and if he needed temporary workers there was more than enough able-bodied men and women looking for some extra money there in town. Sighing heavily and keeping his eyes and hands focused on the task he had been completing before Chris’ arrival had surprised him thus, John then began to explain about Hunter asking him to get rid of Miss James by whatever means he deemed necessary, and all the stuff in between. He was usually much more tight-lipped than this but Chris needed to know.

A violent curse left Chris and startled both of the men with him but neither called him on it—if anything they looked as though they agreed with him. “—so basically I told him I weren’t interested an’ then I left. Oh, by the way—“he paused, chastising himself for being so focused on Hunter that he forgot to mention this beforehand, “Sheriff Michaels was there. He left before Hunter asked me about the Miss James situation, but I just get the feeling that he knew exactly what was going on.” If Chris had looked concerned before now he looked troubled and uneasy; the morning had started out so well too.

What had started out as the best day of Chris’ life was rapidly... well, it was still the best day of his life simply because he’d dared to ask Evan to stay and Evan, unbelievably, had agreed to do so, but nothing at all in his life was ever simple and even this day was proving to be no exception to the rule. He’d been worried about Hunter for a while, but things certainly seemed to be escalating and finding that there was a chance Shawn was involved was bad. He’d known that the two men seemed to have struck up some kind of a friendship, he’d seen that Shawn seemed to suddenly have things that were a little nicer than perhaps he could realistically afford, but he’d been rather hoping that nothing sinister was happening. It was beginning to look like that hope was in vain.

But he wasn’t about to talk about that with a couple of strangers, even if they were involved with Evan’s friends – and Evan’s friends were unlikely to be very pleased with Mayor Jericho once Evan had broken the news that he wasn’t going with them. Looking back at the two men, it crossed his mind that Randy and Cody might also be tempted to stay alongside their own men – John didn’t seem like the type to take Randy’s shit and that probably drew the man in all the more, while Ted had a naive confidence and good looks that he could just imagine would attract more than just Cody – but he dismissed the idea quickly. It wasn’t their town the way it was Chris’, Cena would probably be running on back to his sheriffs position once all this was over (he seemed too dedicated to do otherwise, although that he’d left in the first place for any reason seemed a little off to Chris) while Ted probably had some rich-boy life to get back to. Neither man wore a wedding ring or showed any signs of having recently removed one, but there were other things that tied a man to a place.

“I ‘preciate ya tellin’ me all this John,” he said, using the man’s given name since he had been asked to. “You can come right back ta me if Helmsley gives you any more troubles – I suspect y’won’t wanna be sayin’ all this ta sheriff Michaels.” John gave a sound that sounded like a cross between a snort and a laugh and Chris allowed the ghost of a smile to touch his lips.

Ted, who was hearing all the details for the first time, seemed both indignant and outraged and Chris hid a smile at the way the young man bristled. There was someone who saw problems that should have simple solutions. “Are you gonna arrest him? He’s plannin’ on threatenin’ that lady!”

Chris sighed, glancing at John. John gave a slight lift of his eyebrows and shrugged in a way that said he understood the predicament that Chris found himself in. “It ain’t that simple Mr Smith. Ted. Hunter’s a sly one and there wasn’t nothin’ said that’d hold up. If we asked, he’d say he was askin’ John ta talk to her, tell her ‘bout how great it is ta travel the country and maybe she should sell up and try it. Or that he thought someone impartial might be better for what he wanted her ta do than someone she knew that might be wantin’ ta talk her into stayin’. John even said, weren’t nothin’ specific. Yeah, we know what he was suggestin’ but in the end, it’s all John’s words ‘gainst Hunter’s.”

“But—“ Ted shook his head, clearly trying to think of some kind of rebuttal to the argument. “There’s gotta be somethin’.”

“I’ll deal with it Ted, don’t you worry.” Chris tilted his hat at them. “Think I’m gonna go have a word with Miss James. I won’t be mentionin’ no names, but I’ll make sure she’s watchin’ herself. I was on my way out there anyway since she’s short a worker lately – though I ain’t so sure it’s a good idea ta be suggestin’ it if there’s gonna be trouble...” The last was said almost to himself and he caught himself before he could elaborate further. But John thought he could see something in the mayors face that was suddenly guarded.

“Y’might wanna be humourin’ Randy tonight as well John,” he said, almost ruefully. “I got the feelin’ he ain’t gonna be too happy right now either. I better get goin’. Thanks fer your help gentlemen.”

“Wait.” John frowned slightly, his more protective side coming out when Chris mentioned Randy. “Whatcha mean, he ain’t gonna be happy?”

“It ain’t nothin’ that’s gonna hurt him, don’t you worry.” Chris wasn’t about to elaborate to a virtual stranger, even if John had practically admitted to some improper relationship with the outlaw.

“Maybe we should go out to visit Miss James with you,” said Ted, a little worriedly. “Let her know what’s been happening.”

Chris actually considered it for a moment, it might be good for Mickie to know that the man that had been approached about the strong-arm tactics was actually a good enough guy... but he didn’t know if Randy had mentioned his tryst with the woman to John and he didn’t want to be the reason for trouble. And it wasn’t really necessary.

“I think I can persuade Miss Mickie to be careful,” he said. “And uh, maybe you boys should be takin’ the same advice.”

John’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What’re you warnin’ us about exactly?”

“I’m just sayin’ that Helmsley ain’t never liked not gettin’ what he wants and I don’t think he’ll be too pleased ‘bout you tellin’ him no. Might amount ta nothin’ but it never hurts to be safe.”

John nodded slowly, thinking that it was good advice. “He didn’t sound like a fan of yours either.”

Chris snorted slightly. “Yeah, but I’m watchin’ my back.”

John decided to take a chance. “Well, if he finds out anything ‘bout Evan then he might have somethin’ over ya.”

It was Chris’ turn to look suspicious, but it seemed futile to deny it. “Like I said, I’m watchin’ my back. And folks in Bone Orchard know when ta turn a blind eye.”

Ted, who hadn’t actually realised who Evan was spending his time with, stared at Chris with wide eyes. It seemed almost silly to be shocked and yet he was; this was the mayor.

“Hope you’re right,” said John. “Cause it sounds like he’d like ta have his own little power base goin’ on.”

 

“Wait, what about sheriff Michaels?” asked Ted. “Aren’t you gonna do somethin’ about him? If he’s plannin’ on shady dealin’s then he can’t have a position of authority surely.”

Chris looked rather amused by Ted’s more cultured way of speaking. “I imagine John could tell ya a little more ‘bout how the sheriff comes by his work.”

“The mayor don’t get no say in who the sheriff is, least not in my town,” said John. “Someone puts a man forward and then there’s a vote. Back home, the mayor could use his authority ta block the majority vote if that was what he wanted, but I don’t think it was ever used. And the man kept his job ‘til he quit or retired, or if the town decided there was reason to discuss and have another vote. See, if Michaels had been in the room and both of us had been there, they might have called a town meetin’ and we’d all give our evidence. Then folk could decide if they wanted him ta still be sheriff, since it ain’t a criminal matter even if it isn’t moral. But there’s no good reason, since there’s so many ways he can say he wasn’t aware or that I got it wrong. Or I’m outright lyin’.”

“That’s pretty much how things work here too,” said Chris dryly. “It’s supposed ta stop corruption, but I ain’t bright enough ta be corrupt.”

John doubted very much that it was a lack of intelligence that made Chris incorrupt, but Ted interrupted before they could go on. “Then you hafta wait ‘til he does somethin’ serious? That’s terrible!”

Chris agreed, but he merely shrugged, there really wasn’t anything else he could do. Glancing back at John again, he asked, “You mind if I ask why you’re not workin’ sheriff? You quit?”

“I was shot,” replied John rather shortly.

“And yer alive, walkin’ upright and sniffin’ the air.” Chris seemed genial, but John knew damn well the man was watching his reactions. “They not give you your job back?”

“My deputy was coverin’ for me while I recovered,” answered John. “I asked if he’d mind coverin’ a while longer. I figured I could do with the break.”

“And ta go chasin’ yer knight on a black horse?”

John stared at Chris for a long moment, then smirked. “Somethin’ like that. You gonna give us a rough time?”

“Am I in a position to?” Chris fired back immediately, then grinned. “You ain’t gonna be rode outta town on a rail or nothin’, don’t worry. And I’d best go, catch Miss Mickie. You get any more problems, come see me and I’ll work somethin’ out.”

John doubted very much that there would be much Chris could do if Hunter chose to be careful about his behaviour but he appreciated the sentiment. “Will do,” he replied, watching as Chris headed on out of the stable and then sighing. “I wish I knew what he’d told Randy to piss him off,” he said contemplatively to Ted.

“I guess we can’t go lookin’ for them unless we want people to wonder,” said Ted, a little saddened by the fact. “But I guess Randy’ll tell you about it later on.”

“Yeah,” replied John, only half-listening. He just hoped there wasn’t more trouble on the way.


	21. Chapter Twenty: Hanging In The Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter and Shawn take steps to bring their plans against Chris into fruition, and when their accomplice makes his move it isn't just one life left hanging in the balance

Mickie James was an attractive woman with a curvaceous figure and a cloud of light brown hair. She’d been turning heads since she was in her mid-teens but had shown no interest at all in any of the men in the town, or so it seemed to the people who paid any kind of attention to such things. There had been the occasional dark murmur about what gender her interests lay with, but her tryst with a certain outlaw some two years before seemed to have silenced those rumours. When Chris got to the farm he didn’t see her around but felt comfortable enough to go looking on the property. He eventually found her in one of the sheds churning butter – the James farm was solely dairy businesswise, although Mickie grew vegetables enough so that she didn’t need to buy much. She was too involved in her work to hear him come in and he leaned against the door with a smirk. Mickie was the only woman he’d ever met who wore pants instead of a dress and damn if she didn’t fill them out well. He occasionally thought that if he’d been straight and she’d been interested, they could have had some good-looking children and probably gotten along okay; he found her headstrong ways rather endearing. However, compared with Evan she would always lose out in his eyes.

He cleared his throat softly and Mickie spun around , fire in her eyes – but she beamed as soon as she saw Chris. “Hi there!”

“Ma’am,” said Chris, sounding almost grave but there was a smile on his face.

Mickie disregarded the formality and gave him an affectionate hug. “Don’t call me ma’am Chris, it makes me feel about a hundred years old.”

“Yes ma’am,” deadpanned Chris and was rewarded with a punch to the arm that would put any man to shame. “Owch!”

“You deserve it,” said Mickie with a friendly smile. “Come in the house awhile. Butter’s done and I could do with a cool drink.”

“There’s no one else around the house, is there?” asked Chris. “I got some serious business ta discuss with ya Mickie and I don’t need no one listenin’ in.”

Mickie suddenly looked rather serious. “They’re tendin’ to the herd. Come on in, let me know what’s happenin’.”

They went into the house, which was much like it had been as long as Chris could remember but clean and bright. Mickie poured him a glass of milk, something that never failed to amuse Chris, then sat at the kitchen table and listened in silence while Chris explained that Hunter had tried to talk him into selling the farm and that he’d made suggestions to a ‘new fella’ that she be scared off. He emphasised that the man hadn’t taken the opportunity to do so and had told him about it, more to reassure her than anything. Mickie was tough as any man, but his sensibilities still warned him about upsetting a lady and beside, everyone needed reassurance at times, regardless of gender.

“Oh boy.” Mickie ran a hand through her hair, which was coming untied from the strip of rawhide she had used to hold it away from her face. “I knew the man was persistent, but this is somethin’ else.”

“He been ‘round here Mickie?”

“Yeah. A lot. Offerin’ more and more money for the place, started off real nice but he’s started gettin’ kinda – not nasty but impatient. And yeah, not so nice as when he started off.” She smirked. “He acted like he was kinda taken with me at first, but I saw right through that, even if I were the kinda girl ta have her head turned by a man ta start with, he said right off he were married. He dropped that when he realised I wasn’t ‘bout ta sell up.”

Chris held his cup in both hands. “Why does he want this place?”

Mickie threw her hands in the air, the gesture both frustrated and confused. “I don’t know! He was offerin’ way more than it was worth from the get-go and he’s upped the money – and I don’t think a man like that parts with his money easy. I wish I knew! He don’t even want the cows!”

Chris tilted his head, sure he knew the answer already but having to ask anyway. “Why didn’t ya take the money?”

“This is my home Chris. I don’t wanna go nowhere. The shit I had ta go through ta stay here without askin’ if ya’d marry me inta the bargain, I ain’t goin’ nowhere!” She let out a long breath. “When Ryder said he was leavin’ ta work there, I got a feelin’ he was tryin’ ta make life harder for me. It ain’t gonna work. Huh, I ain’t known’ trouble like this since two years ago.”

“Uh, that’s another thing,” said Chris awkwardly – he certainly didn’t want to discuss Mickie’s private life with her. “We got three visitors in town. Old friends, if ya get what I’m sayin’.”

Mickie blinked. “Randy?”

“Yeah.”

“Whoa. Tell him I said hi.” Mickie suddenly chuckled. “And that if he wants ta come lookin’ for me, he can have a drink with me and nothin’ more, just in case he gets ideas.”

“Don’t think he was gonna get ideas ta be honest,” returned Chris, thinking of John. “You’re fine with that?”

“Chris.” Mickie leant forward, looking earnest. “I know men don’t tend ta think that girls have passin’ interests in boys, that we’re all out ta marry the first man ta look at us, but it ain’t so. I like Randy, he’s fun, but I ain’t about ta search him out and insist we get wed, y’know?”

Chris felt excruciatingly embarrassed, not used to even skirting such issues with men, let alone a woman. “Right, I get it,” he said, wanting to change the subject. “You said Ryder left ya short handed?”

“Well, yeah.”

“I might know someone lookin’ for work. Be happy ta help out a while at least, if it don’t end up suitin’ the both of ya.”

“I know him?”

“Kinda.” Chris turned the cup around in his hands. “One o’ Randy’s friends, Evan.”

“I remember him,” said Mickie with a smile. “Good guy, crazy. He’s stayin’?” When Chris nodded, she raised an eyebrow. “How ‘bout the other two?”

“I dunno,” mumbled Chris.

Mickie’s smile was gentle and understanding – she’d known about Chris’ preferences a while, although she pretended not to and never mentioned it. “He ever worked on a farm before?”

“Yeah. Agricultural though.”

“He’ll get used to it.” She tapped her nails against the table. “Tell him ta come see me, we’ll see if he’s up to it.” She gave Chris a wink. “I can even put him up room and board. Though I suspect I’m on the winnin’ end o’ that deal.”

Chris thought he might be blushing. “I’ll let him know.” He stood up. “Thanks for the drink, but I’d better get back. Mickie... you look out for yerself. I mean it. I know you’re a tough lady but you need me, holler.”

 

“I will Chris,” replied Mickie, the way her hands rubbed together showing that she wasn’t as cool about the whole issue as she would probably like Chris to think. “And you look out for yerself too. I get the feelin’ ya put yourself in the line o’ fire lately. And look after Evan too.”

Chris was rather touched that Mickie, who rarely even came into town, would want to watch out for him but he didn’t say so in many words. Instead he hugged Mickie again and told her that he would watch out for both himself and Evan. And that was one promise he would keep. No one would touch Evan, not as long as he was breathing.

~:~

After riding until lunchtime (though Randy hadn’t intended for it to be so long) the three outlaws headed back into town. Though there was unspoken tension between them Evan had a feeling that it wasn’t entirely to do with his potential leaving of the group. Or, more accurately, he hoped it wasn’t all because he was potentially leaving the group. Before he could consider going to find Chris though, Randy said, “I’ll be back soon; I got some business t’take care of,” and seemed to exchange a look with Cody. The door swung shut behind Randy and Evan suddenly sussed what the look had been about. Cringing slightly to himself, Evan murmured, “Randy’s gone t’see Chris, hasn’ he?” Cody didn’t bother denying it and the smallest of the dark haired trio sighed heavily to himself.

“We care about ya, y’know,” Cody murmured as they walked their horses around back to the stables, filling the trough with water and getting some food for the creatures.

Evan looked at the other in surprise and nodded, “Yeah Code, I know, never doubted it.” His expression softened as much as he would ever let it before those he trusted, “Hey—“ He reached and touched Cody’s shoulder, hurt when the other tensed under his hand. Pushing the momentarily hurt away and fighting not to react with anger himself, Evan said quietly, “Cody, I care about you ‘n’ Randy more’n anythin’, ya know that, but this… this is different. It’s a different kinda care ‘n’ I’d be lying both to myself ‘n’ to you two t’not take this chance whilst I have it.” He really hoped the other could begin to understand his feelings on it all.

“I ain’t abandonin’ you ‘n’ Randy though you may be thinkin’ it now. I know there’s a good chance somethin’ might go wrong, ‘n’ that somethin’ might happen to me, but I’ll be totally honest withcha: I don’ care. It don’ frighten me as much as it probably shoulda. Sure, if I end up catchin’ you boys in Canada, then yeh can take the piss outta me as much as ya want, but until then…” they were sitting to one side on a big hay bale at this stage, watching their horses just relaxing after the hard run they had had. “Come on, Codes,” he implored just shy of begging, “Are ya tryin’ t’tell me that if Ted asked yeh t’stay wi’ him that ya wouldn’ do it?”

Cody’s expression pinched and Evan knew that he had caught the other to a point wherein he couldn’t fight. However, Cody merely turned to meet his eyes and then levelled him with an expression that was so fraught with both melancholy and anger that he found himself wishing he could physically take his words back.

“That’s not likely t’appen now, is it?” Cody asked with a bit more venom than he had initially intended, “So why should I even think about it?” aside from being hurt that Evan was dropping he and Randy so easily after so long together as a unit, he was jealous. Jealous because even though it was risky and sure to be difficult Evan was as least getting to be with the one who had loved… when Evan’s gaze didn’t waver Cody seemed to deflate even though his eyes were still burning with jealousy, concern and unease. “I jus’ don’ want anythin’ happenin’ t’yah,” he eventually muttered. And he didn’t want them to fall apart too terribly; if Evan left them then what was to stop Randy from deciding that he’d had enough or wanted to go solo himself?

“We’ll see each other again one day,” Evan said bracingly, glad they at least weren’t sniping at one another anymore. Tentatively he reached and placed a companionable arm around his friend, relieved when Cody returned the gesture, “I mean, I ain’t never gonna forget you guys, an you’ll probably end up comin’ back through here at some point, right?”

There was a small, uncertain nod from Cody. Tomorrow was going to be the penultimate time though, when he turned around and said for the final time that he wanted to stay. “Let’s go ‘n’ have a drink or two when the horses are done, Ok?” Cody said, not responding to the question that had been posed.

He didn’t know what may happen tomorrow, let alone a distant future wherein things had changed so much, but he didn’t want to make any promises (both to himself and others) that he wasn’t sure he could keep. Sighing softly Evan nodded; a drink might do them both good, and chances were he was going to need one when he found out what Randy might have said to Chris about their situation as it stood. He swore, if Randy said anything to make Chris change his mind then he was damn well going to go and hand himself in out of spite regardless of the consequences. The thought had him scowling under Cody motioned the horses were done, startling him.

Upon entering the bar they saw John Morison, the man waving to them with a much friendlier smile then they thought they would have got had Randy been there. It was funny because for all Randy flirted with anyone he found attractive regardless of gender he was very careful to keep away from those that are married… Cody absently found himself wondering whether a wedding-band would have been significant enough to keep him out of Randy’s line of sight though had the man been married. Something told him not, because he had a feeling neither he, nor Evan even, would have been able to respect wedding-vows of Ted or Chris had that been the case. The thought of Ted being married by the next time he got to see him made Cody’s stomach dropped and for a moment he was going to say no to a drink—but mental images persuaded him to walk faster.

Reaching the bar, Cody tipped his hat lightly to the young man behind the counter, Paul giving them a small look but then greeting, “Afternoon,” in his still rather heavily accented British accent.

Cody tilted his head, “Afternoon,” he returned as he perused the drinks, Evan echoing the greeting beside him. Unlike in the place Ted was staying Paul Burchill wasn’t one for making small-talk with those who weren’t usual acquaintances of his. Making his choice and waiting for Evan to give his, before Paul nodded, accepting their payment before he then got their drinks. Cody propped his elbows on the bar as he waited, thinking that on a lunchtime it must be a custom to stop in somewhere for a drink or two because the joint was surprisingly packed. Not that he cared; money was money and as long as no-one started any funny business he knew that he would be able to take care of it all regardless.

Handing the drinks over to the two men Paul nodded at their thanks before they then turned and took their place at a little out of the way table—old habits died hard even when they were so surrounded by people that it would impossible for them to be picked out easily from the masses. Sipping the alcoholic beverage with a subtle grace that even life living rough and on the run couldn’t remove, Cody didn’t realise that he had lapsed into thought and was therefore missing/ignoring what his companion was saying… until Evan kicked him underneath the table, that was. “The fuck?” Cody yelped softly, pouting at the other male despite himself.

Evan rolled his eyes with a fond exasperation before his expression softened and he leant in closer to Cody, “Something happened between you ‘n’ Ted, didn’ it?” though the other had been infatuated from the start the emotion that he had seen earlier had been something different, deeper.

To Evan’s deep surprise a blush covered his face and he looked down at the drink bottle he held with a soft and yet seductive reminiscent smile on his lips. “I took his virginities… both of them.”

Evan’s jaw dropped somewhat; he had to admit he hadn’t been so sure whether they’d go that far. Sure, he could tell that Ted was as crazy about Cody as Cody was about him, but he’d obviously been such a straight-laced good boy. Cody was the man involved though, so Ted would’ve had to be made of stone not to respond to Cody if the man focused his attention on him. “Well… damn Codes,” Evan toasted his friend and they shared a conspiratorial laugh. He was going to miss this, the camaraderie that he had with both Cody and Randy, the way they could talk about anything and everything. But, he and Chris could too, so that was going to still be there at least.

“Ya tell me about yer time with a certain Mayor then I’ll tell ya about what I got up to with Mr Smith.” It was unspoken thought they had privately, but in tandem, that they wouldn’t tell anything too deep because those situations… those emotions were something that you were proud of, wanted to show off about, but wanted to keep to yourself all at once because you didn’t want to cheapen them any.

“Alrigh’,” Evan nodded his head slowly, “So, didja wanna know about the firs’ time, or recent?” his voice was quiet, but his stance and manner was casual; making someone uneasy and starting another raucous in the bar was the last thing that they needed really. Cody leant in closer as his friend began to talk, unable to ignore the way that Evan’s whole being seemed to light up whenever he spoke about the elder male.

~:~

“I appreciate you coming on such short notice, Dave,” Hunter said as he shook hands with the man who had just stepped into his parlour. ‘Dave’ seemed like quite a harmless, simple name, but the man who was being addressed was anything but; unnaturally tall and built thicker than even sheriff Cena, Dave looked as though he had some Indian or native blood in him somewhere along the line due to his dark colouring and forever brown skin.

“Well, ya said it was important,” Dave said in a low rumbling voice, “So here I am.” He nodded absently towards sheriff Michaels who returned the gesture with barely disguised hostility. He had heard of Dave from Hunter and he would be lying if he said the man’s reputation didn’t make him somewhat wary… or, more accurately, downright fucking terrified. The man was crazy with a capital C. Whereas Shawn was like a cat on a hot tin roof Hunter seemed perfectly at ease, even humming to himself as he poured them all a generous measure of whiskey that was a brand so pricey that the folks in town would only dream of drinking it one day.

Accepting the ridiculously small glass into a large hand Dave toasted Hunter silently, dark eyes cool and appraising before he then knocked half of the shot back. Shawn had no doubt he could take the whole thing in one but obviously wanted to savour it. He was nursing his drink most carefully; getting shit-faced before a man like Dave was something that every fibre of his being warned against. “Introductions, then,” Hunter said jovially, “Dave, this is Shawn Michaels, resident sheriff of Bone Orchard. Shawn, this is an old friend of mine, David Batista.” There was a slightly ominous gap where the man’s profession wasn’t listed the way his own had been, probably a deliberate move on Hunter’s part. “Dave here,” Hunter continued after a comfortable little drink from his own glass, “Is going t’help us get rid o’ our problem down in town, Mr Sheriff.”

Eyes widening somewhat, Shawn looked between the two; it was one thing for them to speculate and suchlike, but this? “Hunter—“if anyone got so much of an inkling of this then they would all be for the literal high-jump. Waving a hand to dispel whatever protests Shawn might have had, Hunter merely smiled genially, “Dave here’ll take care o’ everything. We don’ need t’worry. And, once we have Chris out of the way he’s gonna go an’ have a chat with little Miss James to see if he can persuade her to our way of thinking.” If he had been so inclined he could have done that himself, but Stephanie would never let him hear the end of it and even he wasn’t so stupid as to underestimate his current unpopularity amongst the townsfolk; Chris would be able to incite them against him and jail would be the least of his worries if he was found guilty of assaulting a woman. However, Dave was an unknown, and if things got that far...

As of yet Dave hadn’t said anything, but there was an unnerving little smirk on his face that had Shawn’s blood running cold—and he had seen his fair share of Bad Men over time. The last of his drink was knocked back before he had even really considered it, but he made no move to ask or get himself another. “Well, for old time’s sake I figured it wouldn’t hurt t’help ya out with ya predicament, Hunter.” He was eying Shawn in a manner that had the uneasy sheriff straightening his stance out in his seat and placing a hard expression upon his face and meeting the stare as much as possible. Deeming something about him apparently suitable Dave then turned his attention back to Hunter, “So, tell me about this Chris Jericho.”

Shifting slightly in his seat before Hunter turned to look at him Shawn then responded gruffly, “Well, what d’yeh wanna know?”

Dave took a sip of his drink and said simply, “Everything, o’ course.”

It was about three, maybe four hours later when Shawn left, having to return to town, and Hunter found himself alone with Dave. “So Hunt,” the taller man asked casually, looking around the expensive homestead his old boyhood pal had gained for himself, “Where’s that lovely little woman o’ yours?”

Hunter waved a dismissive hand; he loved Stephanie, and the beautiful children that she had given him, but she knew her place and that was that. “Up in the nursery with m’kids, like she should be,” was his eventual response.

Dave quirked a brow at him and asked, “How many ya got now?”

Hunter leant his head back, “Two. I’m thinkin’ one more an’ then that will be our lot.” Hunter had two girls, and he wanted at least one son before he and Stephanie decided to put an end to procreating.

It was funny to think that not too long before they had been essentially getting Dave the details he might need to make the man step down from his position in power, and to give Hunter the space he needed to do what he wanted. And, for all he and Dave had been reiterating that they were friends (which they were) it wasn’t just friendship obligation that had him there in Bone Orchard—a pretty price had been placed on his participation. By this stage it was well past lunch and Hunter was feeling both in a good mood and hungry. When he offered Dave the chance of a meal the man nodded, “Yeah sure; I’ll head down int’ town afterwards an’ get myself booked int’ one of the local hotels.” He couldn’t keep returning to the Helmsley homestead after all.

They retired into the dining room where an extravagant meal was laid out for them by the staff. Stephanie joined them mid-way through, visibly faltering at the sight of Dave before she recovered herself from her slip, “Nice to see you again, Dave,” she said politely as she made her way around the table to her usual seat.

Dave toasted Stephanie with his glass, “Looking lovely as ever, Steph.” And, considering that she had had two kids and wasn’t some young lass anymore, she did look pretty damn good indeed. Hunter permitted the compliment but anything more and Dave would probably be picking his teeth up off of the floor. Though Hunter wasn’t entirely faithful he’d blow his stack if he heard even so much of a whisper of Stephanie straying.

Mrs Helmsley made sure to excuse herself as soon as she had finished, dutifully kissing Hunter on the cheek and then bidding Dave a pleasant stay and a wish that he return whenever he needed anything before she then left the room. Chuckling lowly as he and Hunter finished eating Dave mused, “Still not too big a fan of mine, aye?” the blonde man chuckled and shrugged; if he was honest he didn’t think Stephanie liked that may people.

Shaking hands with Dave firmly, Hunter said, “I’ll be catching up with before long, no doubt?”

It was posed as a question but Dave knew the underlying warning. He wasn’t afraid of Hunter but he could do without the man’s temper being focused upon him. “No doubt,” he nodded, pulling the brim of his dark hat down and shouldering the small bag he had brought with him as he travelled, “See ya soon, Hunt.”

~:~

Chris was in a contemplative mood as he headed back into town and to his own house, planning to have a meal before dealing with anything else – Mickie had pressed a block of cheese and some butter onto him and although he probably had something that Maria had left him, there was nothing better than produce fresh from Mickie’s farm. The thought of a huge wedge of sandwich was the only thing on his mind, despite what he had heard from Mickie – he would think about that later on. Much later on, once food was done with and he’d done a little preparation for Evan’s arrival that night. There wasn’t much that could wipe the smile off his face when he considered that Evan might well be creeping into his bedroom every night, spending mealtimes and his day off with his lover...

“Hello there Mr Mayor!”

Cue something that could make him suddenly wish he’d left a few minutes later. Miss Layla was heading his way and although he had nothing against the woman, it was common knowledge throughout town that ever since the return of the outlaws she’d been on the hunt for Cody – and that somehow he’d been successful in avoiding her. Right then she was heading for him with a bright smile on her face and a rather determined look in her eyes.

“Miss Layla,” said Chris, continuing to walk in the hope that she’d get the message that he wanted to be elsewhere in a hurry. But she fell into step with him and he had to fight a sigh. Damn, he’d just like five minutes peace, was that too much to ask?

“Mr Mayor, I was just wonderin’ uh, ‘bout shotgun weddin’s?”

“Town’s still opposed Miss Layla,” said Chris, sternly not entirely truthfully. It wasn’t unheard of for an irate father to chase some man to the alter to save his daughters reputation but he tended not to get involved.

Layla pouted. “But this is really, really important Mr Mayor!”

“And personal,” replied Chris, not really in the mood for another discussion about the love lives of women. It had been awkward enough with Mickie and he knew her. He continued to walk and Layla kept up, seeming quite irritated. Chris was just glad he was within a minute or so of his house. “This isn’t something I can help you with, even on an advice level – ain’t never been married, so it’s not like I can even tell ya ‘bout that. Perhaps ya should speak ta some of the married ladies?”

“They all keep tellin’ me ta give it up,” huffed Layla, but Chris barely heard her as he fixed his eyes on his house. There was a figure at his gate and even from the distance he knew it wasn’t Evan. Tall, but certainly not Wade either. His heart sank a little as he realised who it was; even with the long trenchcoat and hat pulled over the face, the apparently casual pose that the man adopted that it was Randy and he was about to get into some uncomfortable and possibly heated discussion regarding his relationship with Evan and their decision for the man to stay.

“I got a guest Miss Layla,” he said, grateful for small mercies. Layla glanced ahead and noticeably brightened, keeping pace with Chris as they approached the house and waving coquettishly at the outlaw. “Hello there Randy? Cody and Evan with ya?”

“No ma’am,” replied Randy rather shortly, he wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Layla couldn’t hide the scowl that crossed her face, although it was replaced with forced good humour a moment later.

“Excuse me Miss Layla,” said Chris, going toward his door and noting that Randy stopped leaning on the wall, standing straight to follow Chris into the house. He could have stopped the man he supposed, but he had expected this and was resigned to it. He wasn’t getting away with not having this conversation.

He decided to take Randy to the kitchen simply because it seemed slightly more appropriate than the living room, where he hadn’t actually replaced the table yet and was very aware of the gap where it should have been. Putting his gifts from Mickie into the larder with real regret – he’d been looking forward to that – he indicated for Randy to sit. The outlaw looked like he might be considering remaining standing, then checked himself and slid into a seat.

“I guess I don’t hafta ask why you’re here,” he said, taking the seat opposite Randy.

Randy’s eyes glimmered from beneath his hat. “Evan said some things and I thought it might be worth sendin’ you a li’l reality check.” He leaned forward on the table. “Case you hadn’t realised it, we came here ‘cause we got us a li’l trouble with the law. Ev tell ya anything ‘bout that?”

“Not much,” admitted Chris. “Only that you guys are runnin’ for the border. And I got a pretty big clue when you shot that guy.”

Randy nodded. “That guy was chasin’ Mr Smith as it happens, though not ta kill him.” Chris’ eyebrows raised but he didn’t say anything. “When we left here last time, we decided we were tired of the little scams, the tiny payoffs. Playin’ a con, it was boring. We’d been talkin’ awhile ‘bout movin’ on ta robbin’ a couple banks, gettin’ enough ta live on fer years and headin’ ta Canada a few years and we finally decided ta do it. Hid our faces and hit up some little place in some one-horse town – practice, y’know? Huh, I think Ev was the only one of us not shittin’ his pants but we took the money. And it got a whole lot easier with time.”

Chris nodded, although it hurt a little to think of Evan caught up in that kind of life. Holding a gun on some bank teller, scaring the hell out of a man who was only doing his job and whoever else happened to get in the way. And all it took was one person trying to be a hero for things to go horribly out of control, for the outlaws or for the onlookers.

“You shoot anyone?”

“Me? No. Although shit happened sometimes. Maybe ya need ta ask Sheriff Cena ‘bout flyin’ bullets, or Mr Smith ‘bout not bein’ a hero.” Chris frowned slightly, hating the way that Randy had an unnerving ability to know exactly where the thoughts of others were going, but neglected to comment on it. Although Randy probably realised it anyway.

“We got ourselves into some scrapes,” added Randy, as if he was talking about drunken hi-jinks. “Sometimes we left without a thing, other times we came damned close ta bein’ caught and the result o’ that woulda been the business end of the gallows. This one time, Ev decided to take off and be a distraction while me and Cody got to our horses – climbed onto the roof and started jumpin’ between buildin’s. Damn, I thought for sure that he was gonna die, just not be able ta jump far enough and hit the street. My heart was in mah mouth while me and Cody went chasin’ off after him and I wasn’t even thinkin’ ‘bout gettin’ away. He didn’t fall and I still ain’t got no clue how. When we got away, me and Cody were tryin’ ta yell at him but we was too damned glad he was still alive. And Ev’s crazy sometimes. He was – lit up, that’s the only way I can think of ta say it. Excited, bouncin’ round. He gets off on crazy.”

Randy had been mostly talking to himself at this point, but seemed to shake himself and refocus. “I ain’t sayin’ that Ev’s fearless, but I dunno, he takes fear and makes it work for him. He might as well be. And maybe a good dose of fear’s what he needs right now. He can’t stay in Bone Orchard Chris.”

And there was the meat of the issue. “Do tell why not Randy.”

“We ain’t stone-cold killers or nothin’, but there’s still a price on our heads. What, you wanna make Evan stand still and let another bounty hunter catch up ta him?”

Chris supposed he must have flinched, because Randy looked a little smug. “Didn’t think so and that’s what’s gonna happen if ya let Evan stay. Ev ain’t stupid but he ain’t wired ta give in to fear either and sometimes he needs to. He could be killed stayin’ here Chris, you and I both know it and he does too. But fear drives Evan on at times, he don’t pay attention to it, even though it’s there for a reason. He ignores it, he’s almost suicidal-crazy sometimes. I dunno why, whatjermacall, survivors guilt or somethin’ after what happened to his family perhaps, but he don’t always act in his own best interests. And if you wanna, then perhaps ya should send him on his way and keep him alive.”

“And if I did that, you think Evan would ever forgive you?”

Randy looked a little startled. “We’ve been friends since we weren’t nothin’ but kids, he’d understand...”

“No, he wouldn’t. He’d see ya as gettin’ in his business and he’d probably stay anyway. Or go elsewhere, solo. That’s worse than him stayin’. And it don’t make no difference, ‘cause I ain’t tellin’ him ta go. I asked him ta stay and don’t think he didn’t think long and hard on it. Not just fer his own sake neither, but because of you two. He didn’t wanna leave you. Hell, if y’decide that you three ain’t ta be split then yer more than welcome ta stay right here too and with the same promise I made Ev, that ain’t nothin’ gonna happen ta y’all as long as I can help it. And you guys are still pretty much heroes ‘round here, I get the feelin’ everyone’d cover for ya should it come down to it.”

“It ain’t as simple as that Chris and ya know it. Ya can’t get between us and a bounty hunter and ya know it. Yer makin’ a target outta Ev by askin’ him ta stay with ya.”

“Who’s talkin’ ‘bout fear now?” retorted Chris. “I don’t know if yer scared for Ev or scared o’ losin’ him.”

Randy’s eyes narrowed. “Bottom line Chris, you let Ev stay, you put him in danger.”

“Bottom line, Randy.” Chris met Randy’s eyes and refused to drop his gaze. “Ev’s a grown man now, not a kid anymore and it ain’t your choice over whether or not he stays. It ain’t my choice if he stays, but if that’s what he wants then I sure as shit ain’t gonna tell him he can’t. Because I want him ta stay. We ain’t gonna be livin’ together or nothin’ but Ev’ll be stayin’ as long as he wants me. And I’m gonna do everythin’ I can ta keep him safe. And happy.”

Randy didn’t drop his eyes either. “I could give you an ass-kickin’ that’d change your mind.”

“No, you couldn’t. Because even if you were able, which I very much doubt son, it wouldn’t change my mind ‘bout my decision.”

A muscle in Randy’s jaw twitched – he wasn’t used to being stood up to by anyone but Evan and Cody – but he nodded slowly. “I can’t change your mind. I can’t change his mind. Guess I’m just gonna hafta get used to it but it don’t mean I gotta like it.” His eyes bored into Chris. “You just better make sure nothin’ happens to him.”

“You have my word,” said Chris, honestly and determinedly. “I will do everything in my power to make sure that Evan remains safe and breathin’ the air.”

“You just better.” Randy sighed, dropping his eyes. “Y’realise, this might be the ultimate dare to him? If danger don’t sniff him out, then he might get bored?”

“You don’t think that’s his reasonin’ any more than I do,” retorted Chris. “And if that happens... well, I guess he’ll catch up ta you somewhere down the line.”

Randy gave a quiet sigh. “I don’t see that happenin’ neither,” he admitted, then unexpectedly reached a hand across the table. Slightly surprised, Chris took it and they shook on it. “You look after Evvy for me,” Randy said. “Him and Cody, they mean the world to me, y’know?”

“I know,” agreed Chris, understanding.

“I’ll let myself out.” Randy withdrew his hand and headed for the door, leaving Chris sitting at the table to mull over what had been said. Randy might not like that Evan was staying, but at least he wasn’t trying to force the issue any way that he could – like kicking the crap out of Chris, which he had secretly been a little concerned about. He was tough enough, but Randy had four inches on him and was deceptively strong, used to being in rough situations. Chris was not. But more than not wanting a beating, he didn’t want Evan to have any more of a shadow over the three separating than was already there and if Randy had decided to be difficult, that was what would have happened.

Remembering that he was hungry, Chris went to the larder and rescued his food, putting it on the side and taking half a loaf of bread as well. Glancing at the water jug kept well out of the sun he wrinkled his nose – empty. Typical. He insisted to Maria that he was more than capable of pulling his own water from the well in the back, it wasn’t as if he had to use the town well that so many did, but he could have done without it right then. Still, his needs were what they were. Humming to himself, he went out of the back door and into the yard, hooking the bucket to the rope and lowering it.

His first clue that he wasn’t alone was when he saw the shadow behind him and with his hands still on the rope he started to turn, expecting that Randy had come back for some reason (but secretly hoping that it was Evan come to pay him a visit). He didn’t even get to see who was behind him when he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head; stars went off behind his eyes and he had enough time to wonder if his head had been separated clean from his shoulders before he realised he was on the ground. How did that happen? He didn’t remember falling.

His scalp felt hot and sticky where he had been struck and there was something running down his neck that he hoped was sweat. But there was no guarantee that the attack was over. He rolled onto his back, rather alarmed at how his responses seemed to have slowed and was momentarily blinded by the sun. Then a figure blotted it out, Chris squinting to try to work out who the hell might have crept up on him for the sole purpose of harming him. He’d never seen the man before. He was tall, even given Chris’ perspective, tanned, broad. As tall as Randy and as wide in the shoulders as Sheriff Cena. A hat cast a shadow over the man’s face but Chris could still see the grin on his face. And what looked like a wooden axe-handle in his hand.

“Nice ta meecha Mr Mayor,” rasped the man, raising the axe-handle higher.

Helmsley sent him realised Chris, trying to raise his hands, get to his feet, anything. But he’d been knocked to barely conscious by the first blow and Dave Batista was very much determined to finish the job.

~:~

Maria chided herself ruefully as she headed back to the Mayor’s house. She had gone all the way to the main street intending to buy bread and meat for dinner that evening but when she had gone to pay she realised that her purse was still sitting where she had left it, on the chair in the Mayor’s living room. The butcher had offered her credit but that was a slippery slope to owing too much and Maria would rather be hungry than in debt. She would certainly much rather go all the way back to Chris’ and back again, even though it would be far easier just to do it the next day. She suspected though that when Chris returned home and found her bag, he would go all the way out to her house and she didn’t want to put him out like that.

She didn’t know if he was home, but he could well be – he sometimes went home for a little lunch she knew. She knocked lightly but there was no response and she let herself in, singing softly under her breath (she would have whistled, but as a child her mother had been death on the practice, insisting it was unladylike). The living room door was still closed and that suggested that Chris had not been there, but the kitchen door stood open and beyond that, she could see the back door also open. She frowned slightly. Most likely Chris had come home and opened it to let a little air into the house, but she needed to check. It would never do if Chris was robbed because she had dismissed it.

Heading into the kitchen, she put her head around the door. There was bread, cheese and butter on the side, the empty water jug and she smiled. Simple explanation, he was getting water from the well. Pushing her way inside, she went to go and say hello, explain her presence there. It was only good manners.

She had taken three steps outside before realising that the man standing at the well wasn’t Chris at all and faltered. With the possible exception of the Englishman who ran the local saloon (and she’d never set foot in), she didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone so tall, but that might have been her shock talking. His back was to her, but she could see that he was holding something in his hand, something wooden. And then her gaze went to the ground and her heart lurched.

The man turned his head slightly and although she couldn’t see his face beneath his hat, she could sense his eyes upon her.

She took a stumbling step backward, almost tripping, then turned and ran through the house, barrelling out of the front door and down the street, screaming for help.

~:~

Andy Morrison knew he would probably be in trouble – he had half an hour for lunch during the school day and had slipped away with his sandwich and apple, eating as he walked. There was no real reason for it except that he found being cooped up in school for hours on end tiresome and he liked to stretch his legs. He thought that his teachers knew but turned a blind eye as long as he was back in time for the afternoon session, but whether or not he would be was debatable, given that he might have been gone as long as the whole half hour and his teacher didn’t even have to send a letter home. His mother was a teacher.

He was hurrying back along the road, praying that he hadn’t lost as much time as he feared he had and would be back in plenty of time for the next session when he heard a crash. He whirled in the direction it came from, just behind him, to see a lady running from the Mayor’s house, shouting that there’d been a murder. Andy forgot all about school and dry, dull lessons, his eyes widening. A murder? Like, a real one?

He took a tentative step in that direction and then saw another figure leaving the Mayor’s house, this one a man. Andy noted that he was damned tall, although there were a lot of tall men in their town, wearing a trenchcoat with a hat pulled low on his face, kinda how the three men who had been at his house for dinner the night before had worn theirs. And then the lady’s screamed words echoed through his head and he darted to the side of the road, out of sight behind a clump of bushes.

A moment later the man walked past him, not really hurrying but walking at a fair pace. Andy watched his boots pass by, barely daring to breathe in case this man – murderer? – decided that he couldn’t leave some skinny little town boy be a witness and carried on with the killing. But the man didn’t even pause as he passed by, leaving Andy hiding a while longer while he waited to be sure it was safe.

Only minutes later he heard the commotion back at the Mayor’s house and finally braved leaving his bolt hole.

~:~

Maria could have gone into several shops along the way, but there was an instinct that spurred her on to the nearest saloon – and she didn’t have to think too hard about what it was. She had seen someone standing over the Mayor’s bloody, still body and that person could still be after her, she hadn’t dared stop to check. The saloons were the haunts of men and she desperately needed someone to protect her. Several someone’s, preferably armed.

She burst into Wade’s saloon, almost staggering as she crossed the threshold so great was her relief at being off the street and to safety. The Englishman looked up startled, then saw something on her face that told him the situation was serious. He put down the glass and cloth in his hands and strode from behind the bar, taking Maria’s arms with an unexpectedly gentle but firm grip and leading her to a chair, which she practically collapsed into.

“Justin!” he called, glancing over at the bar where Justin was emerging from the back, looking more than a little concerned. “Bring a shot of the good brandy over wouldja?” Not waiting to see if he was being listened to, he got to one knee in front of Maria, looking directly into her face so that she would focus on him rather than the curious onlookers who were doubtless glad of the free show, and at lunchtime too. “Miss? What’s happened?”

“Mayor Jericho...” She shivered uncontrollably, staring at Wade with wide brown eyes. “There was a man at his house and blood and – oh god, I think Chris is dead!”

Wade blinked twice, then a cold dread settled into his stomach, added to righteous anger. “You.” He stood and pointed to one of the drinkers. “Go and get the sheriff. NOW or else you just took your last drink in this saloon. You.” He pointed at another man. “Go look for the doctor. Bring ‘em to the Mayor’s place and hurry.” He turned to see Justin heading his way, a glass of brandy in his hand and fear apparent on his face. “Justin, take care of the lady for me. I’ll be back later.”

“Wade—“ Justin wanted to tell Wade to be careful, there might still be trouble there and even if there wasn’t, no one wanted to see their best friend lying dead – but Wade was gone before he could say a word.

~:~

Cody and Evan were laughing at a silly joke that Cody had cracked regarding how Evan could earn his money now that he wasn’t about to rob the bank (Cody had suggested he just rob it every day, wearing a different disguise and had gone all the way from rodeo clown to bearded lady) when a man they didn’t recognise hurried into the saloon and to the bar. They gave him a mildly interested look and then turned back to the conversation – until they heard the name ‘Mayor Jericho’ coming from the man as he talked hurriedly with Paul. Evan froze and Cody gave him a warning look, telling him silently to keep quiet until they could hear more.

“...And Miss Maria ran into Wade’s saloon screamin’ as how the Mayor’d been killed...”

Evan was up before Cody could stop him, running from the bar. With a curse Cody chased after him, but he was sick with worry. What the hell could have happened to Chris? Had there been some kind of accident? That seemed most likely, given that he didn’t want to think of what the man had said and the slightest chance that it might be true.

He caught up to Evan when they were half-way there, grabbing the man’s arm. “Ev!” he said urgently. “You’re not helpin’ Chris if ya go tearin’ in there and demandin’ answers like yer his wife or somethin’. We’re goin’, we’ll hurry, but we ain’t gonna make things suspicious. Get it?”

It looked like Evan was going to shake him off and possibly punch him out into the bargain, but then the man gave the slightest nod and rushed off, Cody all but running to keep up. It seemed like they weren’t the only ones to hear the news either. There were plenty of people heading for Chris’ house, looks of incredulity and concern on their faces. No one thought it could be true, but given how fast the rumour had spread it was clear that no one knew what to think.

There was a crowd outside Chris’ house, people milling around and talking worriedly among themselves. The door was standing open but Cody already knew there was no way they were getting inside; sheriff Michaels was standing at the door, just in the house. He looked uneasy, nervous and Cody didn’t blame him at all, given what had happened to the Mayor – apparently happened. He still hoped that somewhere along the line, things might have been exaggerated. He wanted to take Evan’s hand, comfort him – Evan looked ill and afraid – but he didn’t, not in public.

Cody glanced around at the gossiping crowd, spying John’s bulk almost immediately, but it was the man beside the former sheriff to whom Cody’s eyes were drawn. Ted was chewing on his lip, talking to John in what seemed to Cody like a whisper, but as Cody watched him Ted turned his head to look in his direction and smiled. Cody smiled back, both of them looking strained but it was better than nothing. After a moment Cody forced his eyes away from Ted and kept looking around the crowd. He was just about to give up when he noticed Randy approaching, eyes sweeping the crowd before he spotted them and made his way over.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“You know as much as we do,” said Cody worriedly, a hand going to Evan’s shoulder. “How’d he seem when ya were talkin’ ta him earlier?”

“Weren’t nothin’ wrong with him,” said Randy, a frown on his face. “I left not all that long ago, he was just sittin’ at the table and weren’t no one else in the house. Didn’t see no one else hangin’ ‘round.” He glanced at Evan and recognised the signs of the younger man struggling to hold on to his passive face. “Ev... it’s gonna be okay y’know. Chris is gonna be just fine. Probably he stubbed a toe and the housemaid’s over-reactin’.”

Evan didn’t even pretend to be listening; he could see that sheriff Michaels had retreated further inside and seemed to be talking to someone. A few minutes after that the sheriff walked out slowly, glancing around at the crowd that had been attracted. Some were there for the free show but many were genuinely upset, Chris was a popular man in Bone Orchard and a lot of people were worried.

“Is the Mayor dead?” shouted someone in the crowd; Evan clenched his fists and glanced around but couldn’t make out who it had been.

“He ain’t dead,” snapped Shawn, then hesitated. “Yet,” he added. “He took a pretty bad beatin’ and he might not make it.” A buzz rose from the crowd but Evan hardly heard it, his eyes wide and his heart in his throat. He felt like he might be sick and that the only thing keeping him from keeling over were the weights of Randy’s and Cody’s hands on his shoulders.

Shawn raised his voice over the noise. “So I need ta know if anyone knows where the Mayor was and who he was with. Anyone see him around?”

The crowd went quiet. “We saw him early on,” said Ted, a little hesitantly. “But it was hours ago.”

Cody glanced over at his lover, but Ted was apparently a little nervous and not looking in his direction. Shawn nodded, then looked around. “Since say, elevenish? Anyone?”

“I was walkin’ with him ‘bout one,” said a female voice and one that Cody found an unpleasant surprise. On the edge of the crowd Layla was standing, apparently pleased to be the centre of attention and didn’t seemed to have noticed Cody. “He was comin’ back with somethin’ ta eat I think...”

“Miss Layla,” said Shawn, patience clearly wearing thin. “What else?”

She hesitated a moment. “Well, Randy was waitin’ for him.”

All eyes turned to the three outlaws and Shawn strode through the crowd toward him. “That so?” He wasn’t as tall as Randy but did his best to look the man in the eye while behind Randy, Cody and Evan stilled, ready for anything. “Miss Maria come runnin’ into the saloon not much longer after that. And she said she saw a tall man standin’ over Chris. Real tall. How tall’re you Randy?”

“Six-four,” growled Randy. He didn’t like where this was going one bit. He certainly didn’t like the looks that were being levelled his way and he didn’t want to turn and look at Evan. He thought he might panic if Evan actually suspected him of harming Chris.

“Well, Wade might be a mite taller, but he’s got an alibi.” Shawn smirked, suddenly not looking anywhere near so worried and weary. In fact, he looked positively cheered by the way things were going. “What were you and Chris discussin’? You two have an argument?”

“No,” snapped Randy, too quickly and he knew it. The truth was that they had, and there was no way he was about to admit that.

“No?” Shawn’s expression was pleasant but Randy could see something gleeful dancing in his eyes. But why would the sheriff be so anxious to see his downfall? “What were you two discussin’?”

“That ain’t none o’ your business,” retorted Randy angrily. “You got somethin’ ya wanna accuse me of, Michaels?”

Shawn gave him a long, speculative look. “Well, wouldn’t be doin’ my job if I didn’t.” He reached for the cuffs on his belt. “Randy, yer comin’ ta the station-house with me. You’re under arrest and if Chris dies, then you’ll be tried fer murder. And then, you’re gonna hang.”


	22. Chapter Twenty-One: An Innocent Man Needs A Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The town rallies to find out who attacked Chris, although many believe that Randy is the culprit. However, an unexpected witness could contradict that theory before long.
> 
> Evan takes up vigil at Chris' bedside, Ted and Cody decide to seek legal representation as John decides to do a little detective work of his own.

Evan couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so fucking terrified. As the doctor had arrived (Mr Jim Ross, as he had heard him called) everyone had been ushered away to let the man have privacy and room to work. He hadn’t realised he was shaking until a hand that was most certainly not Cody’s rested on his shoulder and a soft voice asked, “Do you need to sit down?”

Turning, Evan found himself looking into the calm blues of Ted Smith—DiBiase. “No… No M’alrigh’,” Evan mumbled. John had vanished off somewhere after Shawn had taken Randy away, and Evan sincerely doubted that Cody would let either he or Ted go anywhere out of his sight. Evan swallowed down the nausea that was coiling in his stomach.

Why would someone attack Chris? It just defied all logic. And, despite how gone he was in his grief and rage, Evan knew that Randy would never harm Chris despite how irritated he might be with the man in current given circumstances. Randy just… wouldn’t, because beating a man down like that wasn’t Randy’s thing; his friend was much swifter and methodical, and… surely Chris could have fought back if he saw the attack coming?

There were a thousand-and-one questions running through his head, the pressure of them causing his temples to pound and ache; he had the deepest urge to cry, to scream or do something to act out and dispel the tumultuous emotions raging within him—but if he did then he could get them all into even more bother. Though it was acceptable for some of the gathered women to be crying, as they were, all of the men merely looked grave and determined. To allow himself to truly show his emotions would mean unpleasant repercussions for them all.

Hearing Ted’s gentle concern for his friend permeated the cold numbness in his chest and Cody couldn’t help but send him a small, affectionate look. Evan was broken up inside by this, he knew it, and he was enraged that his friend was experiencing such misery and that the sheriff had the audacity to accuse him. They would need to get Randy out of there; Cody wasn’t just biased in Randy’s favour, he just did not trust Shawn at all.

Before he could consider his first move though, the door to Chris’ home opened and Mr Ross stepped out. The usually jovial rotund man looked devastatingly sombre and the crowd seemed to hold their breath in one collective movement. “He’s alive,” he finally announced and Evan’s knees weakened somewhat as relief flooded him. In a quick and subtle movement Ted and Cody both took his elbows to keep him upright; mercifully there wasn’t anyone stood behind them where they had moved to so that they could have a better look and it was lucky for Evan needed the support.

When the stretcher was brought out of the house though, carried by Wade and some other able-bodied men, Evan thought he was going to be sick all over again; Chris’ clothes were covered in dirt and blood, and his face bore horrible looking bruises. Even from where they were stood he could see that blood matted the blonde man’s hair… and when the bloody axe-handle was carried out of the house carefully by another man a righteous fury welled in Evan unlike anything he had ever felt before; even if he had to sell his soul to the Devil himself someone was going to pay for this. Oh, someone was going to pay dearly for this. The crowd parted to let them pass as they headed back towards the town.

“Do me a favour,” Evan muttered to Cody, inadvertently including Ted in the sentiment since he was standing there with them, “Go into town with the rest of the townsfolk; I got somethin’ that needs takin’ care of here.” Cody looked as though he was about to protest but Evan managed to send the other a smile that looked more genuine than he would have thought he was capable of, “I ain’t gonna do nothin’ stupid, I swear. I jus’ wanna talk t’the doc.”

Though he clearly wasn’t happy about the prospect of leaving Evan alone Cody knew that he deserved to at least find out how his lover’s condition was, and that Chris could do with some more protection in case whoever had attacked him came back for a second go. “If we go now we should be able to catch up with the rest of ‘em not before long,” Ted offered gently though he too seemed a little weary.

Removing his hat Cody sighed and ran a hand through his hair, hat being replaced once more as he moved to Evan and looked him in the face, “Watch yer back, ‘n’ get yer ass back t’town as soon as, alrigh’?” he said firmly and Evan nodded his head. Cody lightly cuffed his shoulder and then looked to Ted, falling into step with the man as they headed off. As soon as they were out of earshot Evan made his way back to Chris’ home; the doctor had returned back inside, undoubtedly to clean himself and any… mess that may have occurred during Chris’ attack. Evan took a breath.

Entering the house he found that the living-room seemed in order and there was a sandwich on the side, untouched save for what must have been a singular bite… and outside was the doctor and his pseudo-assistant, the bank teller Josh Matthews; Evan recognised him as they had legally used Bone Orchard’s bank once or twice during their stays, no threats of guns on that boy’s head. “Excuse me,” Evan announced his arrival so as not to startle the men, nose wrinkling as the scent of copper invaded his nostrils… he then realised they were sluicing the ground. Resisting the urge to balk immediately, Evan approached the two men, mindful of his step.

“Mr Ross? I was wonderin’ if ya could tell me exactly what ya think happened here, ‘n’ how ya think Chris’s gonna cope.” He was well-aware that at first blush he didn’t seem much of a threat but the doctor had seen he and his friends before too, knew who they were, and besides it wasn’t as though he was asking for information that wasn’t soon going to be common-knowledge in the town… or at least a common rumour.

Mr Ross seemed to be assessing him, gaze cool and calm behind his spectacles and the air the man gave was one that Evan felt he could respond to; he had a sense of authority, yes, but also of a man who was there to help and soothe. As the last of Chris’ blood was washed from the ground Jim removed his gloves and then patted Josh’s shoulder, “Thanks fer yer help son, go on back t’town.”

The teller regarded Evan a little warily but that wasn’t altogether surprising. Jim tossed his gloves into a nearby rubbish pail and sighed, a frown marring his round face, “He was hit wi’ that axe-handle, my guess about one time. The blow was powerful, undoubtedly disorienting. Heck, I wouldn’ be surprised if it would’ve been enough to kill him!” Evan flinched but if Jim noticed he made no obvious signs that he had, “I don’ reckon Chris coulda fought back too much if at all,” he added.

“Bruising from his face I suspect coulda been from the axe or his attacker’s hands…” Evan felt a small hope in his chest when Jim didn’t outwardly peg Randy as the assailant the way that everyone else had. “He’s unconscious, lost a good deal o’ blood and probably won’t be wakin’ up anytime soon. It’s a good job that the fella was interrupted I reckon, otherwise our Mayor might not’a been so lucky… makes ya wonder who’s gonna look after everythin’ in office until Chris is better…” the man was notorious for not having some sort of assistant. Right then Evan honestly couldn’t give two shits what would happen to the political layout of the town, he just cared about Chris.

“But… he’ll be Ok, right?” he asked and Jim stopped packing his black medical bag and straightened up with it now closed, in hand. Resisting the urge to squirm underneath the scrutiny he held the man’s eyes. He could have sworn momentarily that he saw something that looked akin to acceptance and approval in the man’s eyes before it was gone again.

“If he gets rest and no one tries t’attack him again then I’m confident he should be wakin’ up pretty soon indeed.” Jim honestly didn’t know too much on who the young man was, but his concern for Chris was apparent and he figured that this was a good kid. “Come on son,” he said to Evan, “If ya wanna come by ‘n’ see that I’ll get ‘im settled properly I don’ mind.”

Though his behaviour was probably giving him away the way that Cody had warned him about Evan couldn’t bring himself to care. Even though realistically he knew that there was no way he could have done something to save Chris or prevent this from happening he wished he could’ve. He wished he hadn’t gone with Cody and Randy for such a long ride, wished he had come back sooner and sought his lover out. If he had been with him then the assailant would probably have thought twice about taking such liberties upon Chris’ person. Then again, maybe not, but at least he would have been there to do something. He and his elder companion were quiet as they made their way back to town and towards Jim’s office wherein he had instructed Wade and the other’s to place Chris so he could be monitored overnight and suchlike.

The closer he got to the prospect of seeing Chris all beaten-up though, the more Evan faltered. Crowds of people were trying to get into Jim’s office to see the Mayor but Wade seemed to have everything admirably under control. Though Evan couldn’t see Cody and Ted in the masses he knew that they’d be there somewhere; Cody wouldn’t let him down like this, and somehow he doubted even those two would be up for some less than savoury activities given the atmosphere that was around them all at the current time. Jim motioned him to follow him when he started to halt.

“Jim, what’s goin’ on?” called a man who Evan didn’t recognise, he being of a similar build as Jim but maybe a little less round in the face. Jim however seemed to know this man, “I’ll tell ya later, Jerry, right now I got somethin’ t’do. Come on people, clear the way now!” he called, voice rising in a manner that Evan wouldn’t have expected from the otherwise mildly-spoken man. People moved back, the low thrumming murmur of their joined voices making Evan’s head ache and he was relieved to get inside Jim’s office where Wade stepped in after them and closed the door.

The noise immediately dimmed and Jim nodded to Wade. Across the room, on the only occupied bed, lay Chris. Jim’s assistant nurse, a woman by the name of Gail (she was of Asian descent and had come across from the East with her family to escape a life of poverty, Jim taking her under his wing when he realised her aptitude for learning and medicine) was already cleaning him up. “Thank ya Gail,” Jim said wearily and Gail nodded. She sent the two men with Jim the smallest of smiles before resuming her task. When Evan realised she was going to undress him, probably to place him in clean clothes, he almost cried out in protest.

He reined himself in with the firm mantra that she was a nurse, Chris didn’t have nothing that she probably hadn’t seen before, and that if he acted like that then he and Chris would both be for the high-jump, not helped. For possibly the first time ever the sight of Chris’ exposed chest and abdomen did nothing for Evan, numbness settling in as Chris’ limp body hammered home to him just how close his lover had come to death. Once again the question of why and thoughts of revenge flooded his mind, making him rub his temple.

“This ain’t right,” Wade was admittedly more pale than many of his American cohorts but now he looked almost grey, “This ain’t right a’ all. I don’ like it an’ I swear down that we gotta get somethin’ done about it.” Evan moved closer to Chris’ bedside as Gail moved away to get rid of whatever she had been using to clean Chris with, and his now undoubtedly ruined clothing. Although the urge to hold the man’s hand was so strong his fingers twitched he forced himself to keep still. Jim and Wade soon forgot about his presence as they talked in low tones.

“I don’ like this Wade,” Jim admitted, “This weren’t no badly planned muggin’ gone wrong or anythin’ trivial like that... someone’s determined to hurt Chris, an’ I think when they find out they didn’ get the job done they might come back… they know where he lives, he can’ even go back there alone if—when,” he amended, seeing Wade’s expression, “He wakes up.”

Before the Englishman could offer his friend a permanent room at his hotel, under his constant watch until the situation calmed down, a voice spoke: “I can keep an eye on him.” Wade turned towards the little ravenette by Chris’ bed; he had a feeling that was the one Chris’ been so moony over recently.

“I mean,” Evan’s voice was somewhat dull but his mind was quick to come up with some sort of excuse, “Chris was talkin’ to me about findin’ me a permanent position o’ work here, ‘n’ that I could stay with him… I owe him a hell of a lot, ‘n’ no one’ll touch him whilst I’m around.” And neither of the elder men doubted his words even slightly.

~:~

Hunter hummed to himself as he walked up the stairs towards the nursery. He had spent a good portion of the morning communicating with Vince, his father-in-law, about manners of business, and from the progress they had made he was feeling really good about things as they stood. Once Dave had completed his end of the bargain Hunter would reward him greatly for his efforts and make sure that they weren’t in vain. Personally he had nothing against Chris it was all business; the man lacked the vision that Hunter had, the vision that would bring the little town out of its time-defying little bubble. Reaching the nursery he poked his head around the door.

Their eldest daughter was in the arms of their nurse, a woman somewhat older than Stephanie (at Stephanie’s insistence) with lovely manners and a great love for their children even if her looks left a little something to be desired. Stephanie was sitting in a rocking chair that Hunter had made to commemorate their youngest daughter’s birth—the child that Stephanie was currently feeding from her breast as she talked quietly to their nursemaid. She looked radiant in these moments, like an angel.

Upon seeing Hunter in the door the nursemaid’s head bowed politely and Steph turned to look at him. It was apparent that she still held some unease concerning Dave Batista being in the area, and in collusion with her husband, though she could hardly say anything about it; though Hunter loved his wife and would do anything for her he wasn’t above /disciplining/ her if he felt in necessary to do so.

The brunette’s head cocked to the side as Hunter drew closer, eying the smile on her husband’s face; he hadn’t been in such good humour for a long while and momentarily jealousy reared its ugly green head. A tender kiss to her forehead assuaged her concerns of infidelity for the moment but she couldn’t resist asking, “What’s got you so happy?”

Exhaling a sigh Hunter shrugged casually, accepting his toddler from the nursemaid and kissing her; he could already see that the poor child was going to inherent the McMahon/Helmsley ‘curse’ of an ample nose, but she was beautiful to him. Meeting Stephanie’s eyes his smile got bigger and he sent her his most innocent smile, “Nothing. Nothing at all, my love.”

~:~

“Ma!” the scream drew Melina running from the house, skirts drawn up around her knees almost from the speed she had moved as her child’s cries. John was hot on his wife’s heels as she dropped to her knees, enveloping their son in her arms. The boy was pale despite the fact that he had obviously been running hard and quite far, and his eyes were wide. “Ma… it… oh Jaysus—“

Melina would have scolded her boy for his cursing had she not been concerned. “Why aren’t ya in school young man?” she demanded.

Andy took a deep breath, eyes widening somewhat. “I saw a lady a’ Mista Jericho’s house—“Melina made to tell the boy about his pronunciation but John shushed her gently and Andy ploughed on, “—an’ she came runnin’ out screaming that he’d been murdered—“his parents sucked in sharp breaths but Andy didn’t stop, rounding off his tale. “I went to go to the house, t’see if everythin’ was alrigh’, but then I saw this man…” he shivered.

The gesture from her son immediately had Melina uneasy, “Andrew, what happened honey?” she asked, lowly and calmly but firmly.

Andy swallowed, “I dunno who the man was, but he was big. Like, really big, bigger than even Mista Randy from the other night.”

John’s brows rose; there weren’t many men who got bigger than Randy. “What happened then son?” he asked gently and Andy was about to mention all the people he’d seen as he made his way back but he didn’t get the chance.

There was a loud, low thrumming heading in their direction, and Melina looked up to see what appeared to be something being carried by several men. A gasp left Melina when she realised who was laid across the stretcher; Chris, and he looked… Lord. Melina was gently ushered inside with their son, much to her consternation, but the woman knew her place and so went inside as John hastened to see what exactly had gone down, face set into a grim expression; someone’s head was going to roll for this.

~:~

As soon as Wade was out the door Justin turned his attention back to the lady he had been left in charge of. “Miss?” he pressed a glass into her hand, but kept his own around it as she was shaking so heavily he feared she’d spill the liquid all over herself should she try and drink on her own merit.

“Maria,” she whispered tremulously, sending him what was supposed to be a warm smile but seemed more like a grimace, “Call me Maria.”

The dark skinned male nodded his head, “Miss Maria,” he said instead, thinking it’d be inappropriate to refer to her by her name even though she had told him she could. “Is there someone I can get for you?” he knew that right then she needed some serious comfort and, well, he wanted to be free of responsibility should Wade need him. In the back of his mind he felt terrible for his thoughts almost immediately but couldn’t change them.

“My- My husband should be home now,” Maria drained the last of the brandy that she had in her hand, Justin taking the glass away when she was done. “I—I don’t wanna walk down on my own,” her hands rung together though Justin was pleased to see that the liquor had done enough to stop her shaking at least.

“I can walk you home,” Justin said, knowing that the girls could be trusted to watch the place for a few minutes. “Are ya sure?” Maria asked, though it was obvious she wanted someone to take her home to the safety of her husband.

“Eve, you Ok to watch up fer me a sec whilst I take Miss Maria home?” he called to the brunette and she nodded, “Of course hun.” Justin took Maria from the saloon and out to the eerily empty streets. As it happened her husband Dolph was making his way home for lunch when Justin arrived. Immediately the blonde man took his shaking, sobbing wife into his arms. Justin could tell that he had been the one supposedly in the man’s line of fire until Maria managed to sob out some explanation, Justin filling in the gaps as best he could. The blonde man immediately looked concerned, thanking Justin for bringing her back before taking her inside. Justin’s return to the bar was much faster.

~:~

Everyone had been cleared out of the station as Shawn had brought John in; he said that he wanted to interrogate the man alone and find out just what had been going on. Of course, realistically, he knew exactly what had gone on, and therefore that Randy was completely innocent for once, but he would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel deep down that this was somewhat appropriate. Randy was a bad man, he reasoned to himself, if he was only small-time for the main what could it take to make him try something bigger… like attempted murder? He looked at his cuffed prisoner.

Randy was sitting opposite him at the table, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and his mouth compressed into an equally thin line. Had he had his guns still Shawn didn’t doubt that he would probably have tried to put a bullet between his eyes as soon as the occasion arose. Sighing pleasantly the sheriff placed his hat down, admittedly more confident with Randy incapacitated.

“All ya gotta do is be honest wi’ me Randy, ‘n’ we can see what we can do. Now, why didja try ‘n’ hurt the Mayor?”

For a moment it seemed as though Randy was merely going to content himself with ignoring Shawn but then he turned his dark head towards him, hat knocked askew wherein he had clipped it on the jail door on the way in. “I ain’t done nothin’ t’im and ya know it, Michaels, spare me the choir-boy act.”

A fissure of fear made its presence known throughout Shawn’s body and the blonde struggled to keep himself composed; Randy couldn’t know about Dave, and the only way he could potentially be blamed is if Hunter decided to turn on him for some reason.

“Randy… Miss Layla said ya had business wi’ Chris and suspiciously, after seeing you the man winds up half-dead.” Shawn propped himself back on the legs of his chair in a manner that screamed blatant disrespect, hands going behind his head, “I’d like ta believe ya, Randy, I really would, but yeh’re gonna hafta fill in the blanks fer me.”

Randy brought his cuffed hands up to his face and rubbed them over it, scowling violently. If only he could explain the true reason why he wouldn’t ever lay a hand on Chris with ill will. However, since he couldn’t, he was going to have to use all of his persuasive charm to try and get himself out of this. Tch, yeah like he’d waste the effort on Shawn. Though he had always gotten the feeling that the man didn’t like him it seemed that only this time around he was being much more open with his feelings and biased with regards to him. Knowing that he was innocent wouldn’t bode well for him if he couldn’t do something to get himself out of that predicament, and soon. They’d have him on a gibbet if Chris happened to bite the big one. He sent a silent prayer to the God he oft wasn’t sure he believed in...

The prayer wasn’t for his own sake though, oh no, it was for Evan; he could only imagine what he was going through right then and prayed that neither they (or John or Ted) did something stupid and got themselves into hot water. Shawn was watching him with a strange expression in his eyes… an expression that told Randy he best be getting used to the prospect of the cells in the place because he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Resisting the urge to growl at the other man Randy strived to keep his so-called legendary control instead of lashing out at the sheriff, “I ain’t got no motive t’get rid o’ Chris, Michaels. He takes good care of me ‘n’ ma boys when we visit; we wouldn’ do ‘im no harm.”

It seemed, given the lack of response from Shawn both physically and verbally, that the blonde hadn’t heard him. Though a muscle jumped in his cheek at the prospect of being annoyed he bit his tongue to keep himself quiet and tasted blood as a consequence. “I didn’ hurt Chris,” he repeated the words slowly and with great emphasis, as though he was talking to a dim-witted child. That same look from before reappeared on Shawn’s face and Randy’s brow furrowed at the sight of it. Shawn began to toss the key that would unlock Randy’s cuffs up and down in the air in a manner that screamed juvenile and was deeply drenched in a need to irk Randy and make him pop.

When it became apparent that the outlaw wasn’t going to change his story and seemed somewhat more resilient than even he remembered, Shawn then caught the key and placed it down on the table; he had planned on lording over the knowledge of Randy and John (and thus tormenting Randy with the fact that he’d be in there like a stallion in mating season as soon as he was out of the road) but now seemed as good a time as any to use it. Changing his position so that he was now sitting with his elbows on the table and his hands folded in front of him Shawn gave an airy sigh, “I must admit that I am impressed, Randy, very impressed.”

When Shawn knew that he had Randy’s attention he merely casually inspected the toe of his boot as he said, “I mean, it mustn’t’ve been easy t’get Cena t’be such a good little whore for ya. I mean, yeh were ridin’ his ass hard and he seemed to be lovin’ every second of it—“ If he could just goad Randy’s legendary temper into causing him to lash out it would mean Shawn could detain him until he found a more suitable course of action when it came to dealing with him in the long-run.

A sick feeling combined with hot rage started in Randy’s stomach; Shawn had seen them. Now, ordinarily being spotted would just be a background threat and something that he wouldn’t be bothered about, but even though the time between them hadn’t been the most romantic or whatever it still made it feel cheap and disgusting to consider that this dirty old pervert had gotten a thrill out of seeing them. Swallowing against a case of dry mouth Randy decided to call Shawn’s bluff.

“I don’ know what yeh’re talkin’ about,” he said with indifference, “What yeh’re insinuatin’ never happened.”

Shawn’s eyes narrowed and jealous flashed through them, and Randy didn’t miss it. John had said Shawn had been there that night, and Randy had thought there was something off about the way he acted around John… this just proved everything that Randy had previously suspected. “Yeh’re jealous, aren’t ya, sheriff?” Randy knew that he was making yet another gamble here but he had to go for it, “That I got t’John firs’ I mean. Damn, he’s the best ass I’ve ever had. I know that ya know what’s really goin’ down here, Shawn, and I don’t appreciate bein’ taken fer a fool.”

“Thought what I was insinuatin’ never happened?” Shawn shot back, but he was unnerved and Randy didn’t look at all intimidated. Dammit. He didn’t like what was happening around here, but he was in too damned deep to back out now. He had a handy scapegoat in Randy and it got him out of the way, as well as Chris. He should be a lot happier than he felt right now... but he had never liked the feeling that another man was pulling his strings and Hunter wasn’t exactly hiding the fact.

Deciding to ignore the question, he stood the chair on four legs again and prepared to rise. “Well Randy, shame you ain’t in the mood ta help y’self and just admit you were the one that tried to kill Chris. But we got enough evidence ta have ya swingin’ from a rope in no time, ‘less you wanna cooperate.” Randy remained stubbornly silent and Shawn chuckled. “No? Think on it. Could buy ya life instead o’ death, or at least getcha outta jail long enough ta run outta town with yer boys. Meanwhile, town charter says I gotta take over runnin’ Bone Orchard in the Mayor’s unfortunate absence. ‘Course, someone’ll hafta take over as Sheriff in the meantime. Lucky me, I know where there’s a spare one – and given that I know somethin’ ‘bout him he don’t want no one else knowin’, and his uh, pardner in the cells, I think he might be more receptive to whatever offer he gets made this time.”

Randy slammed both fists on the desk in front of him and stood, towering over Shawn and utilising what Shawn realised he should have kept in mind; that a man with his hands cuffed in front of him still had a fair amount of freedom. Fortunately for both of them the table was between them, not that it stopped Randy. In other circumstances he might have vaulted it but he would have gotten tangled in the chains, instead he tried to go around. Shawn didn’t want the other man that close. Randy was taller and had more of a reach than he did and could probably knock Shawn flying before he could defend himself. Thinking fast, Shawn waited for Randy to get around the table and then levelled a high kick at the other, connecting with his chin. Randy’s eyes rolled in his head and he toppled like a fallen tree, crashing on his back to the floor.

Shawn watched the taller man warily a moment in case he got back up and decided to have another go, but it seemed that he was out of it. Grumbling slightly to himself, Shawn reached down and grabbed the chain that connected Randy’s cuffs, dragging the man slowly into one of the vacant cells and closing and locking the door. The cell boasted a chamberpot, a narrow wooden bench that served as a bed and a window so high that even Randy would have trouble seeing out of it. There wasn’t anything else and Shawn didn’t see as how he had to provide more.

Going back to his chair, he dropped into it and went for his drawer, liberating Randy’s tobacco and matches and rolling himself a cigarette, not that he usually indulged but this was different. He wanted to think and he thought the tobacco might focus his mind. He didn’t like having his strings pulled and he wasn’t wild about Chris being incapacitated in the way he had been – he just knew it had to be the work of Hunter’s friend Dave – but there was nothing he could do without buying himself a world of trouble; he knew too much to plead ignorance and Hunter was smart enough that although some might suspect him, there was doubtful to be evidence. No one even knew why he wanted land in Bone Orchard. Whereas Shawn had been accepting gifts that could be considered bribes and was currently withholding evidence of who committed a serious crime against the Mayor.

Still, if he was in this then the outcome wasn’t bad, no matter how distasteful the means. He would be rewarded. No one need suspect anything as long as he kept quiet. And there were the immediate rewards to consider – namely that Randy was well away from John and Shawn didn’t think the man would stick around to clear his name if he was allowed from his cell (and Shawn would only allow that should he have no other choice). And while his threats had been mostly to get a rise from Randy, they were certainly something to be thinking of. Cena would be nicely compensated if he played along, all he had to do was as he was told. If he didn’t, he’d probably skip town himself and ride dejectedly back to where ever he had called home. If he did... well, Shawn was certain that he could find another candidate to fulfil John’s needs.

His mind was made up. He was in this for as long as it took and although from this moment on it wasn’t as if he could change sides, he was pretty sure that his would be the winning one.

But first things first. He lit the cigarette and started writing a note, planning to hail a passer-by to take it to Vickie Guerrero’s place – and given the situation in town, he didn’t think he’d be short volunteers. It was also a note he didn’t mind people sneakily reading. The lady dealt with printing; he wanted an announcement to go out that every man in town (he could hardly exclude the ladies but it wasn’t their place to be involved in such decisions and it wasn’t as if they could vote on any motions either) was expected to be at an emergency meeting that evening at the town hall. There, he could push through any decisions on leadership and Randy’s guilt while people were still confused and uncertain and get things into motion.

~:~

Ted and Cody were in the gathered observers watching Chris being taken into the doctors office and Ted recognised Evan as the man slipping into the building alongside Wade Barrett. He didn’t know how Evan had managed it, but maybe he had taken smooth-talking lessons from Cody or something. The thought might have raised a smile from him at any other time, but he didn’t seem to be in a smiling mood right then and the reason was mostly that Cody was devastated. He hadn’t said much but Ted knew how Randy’s arrest had to be hurting, how he’d be empathising with Evan’s potential loss. What he really wanted to do was take Cody back to his room and hold the outlaw, let Cody spill it all out and then he’d probably feel a little bit better once he had been able to rant, or theorise, or shout his rage at the situation. But Ted knew as well that he was in a position to help out in a way that most people were not and none of the outlaws had probably even considered.

The crowd started to disburse, seeming to realise there was no more sideshow to be seen and it would be a long while before they got any gossip. Evan hadn’t come out but Cody didn’t seem ready to move until Ted tugged at his arm. “I don’t think he’ll leave until he gets kicked out,” he said gently. “It could be hours and he’ll know to come find us when he does.”

Cody nodded and then hesitated, looking a little lost and Ted’s heart almost broke at the sight. He knew that Cody could look after himself and that he would probably pull himself together before long but this had knocked him sideways and for the moment he was uncertain of what to do. Ted kept his hand on Cody’s arm probably a little too long, but right then he couldn’t care less about propriety; Cody needed him. “Come on. I need to make a stop at my room, then we’re gonna sort this mess out.”

They walked side by side in silence, until Cody suddenly spoke as they approached Wade’s saloon. “Randy didn’t do that to Chris y’know.”

“I know.” Ted spoke with a certainty he hadn’t felt at first, but Cody was so certain that Ted was more than willing to trust his judgement. Just as importantly, Evan had stuck with Randy until he was taken away by the sheriff and that showed that Evan didn’t believe Randy could do that either – and it was Evan’s lover that was the victim.

“I don’t wanna go in there yet,” Cody told him abruptly. “Everyone’ll be drinkin’ and talkin’ ‘bout how Randy tried ta kill the Mayor and wond’rin’ if Chris is gonna live – Chris was always good ta us and I don’t wanna hear a lot of gossip right now. I’ll get into a fight or somethin’ tryin’ ta defend him. And there’ll be them sayin’ me and Evan were involved, even though we were sittin’ in plain sight the whole of the afternoon—“

“Okay, you wait out here for me a moment,” Ted replied, cutting off Cody’s slightly rambling explanations. “Don’t you worry Cody, we’re gonna get this fixed. And when Chris wakes up, he’ll tell folk that Randy wasn’t involved.”

“If he wakes up,” said Cody morosely.

Ted hadn’t wanted to say it, but he merely repeated, “Wait here,” and rushed into the saloon, not wanting to take too much time.

Cody wondered what the hell he could want from up there. But it wasn’t the first thing on his mind, that dubious privilege had been brought on by his own words. What if Chris didn’t make it? He genuinely liked Chris as a person and the man made Evan happy. If Chris did die, if Randy hung for it, then it would just be the two of them, roaming from place to place and Evan taking more and more of those insane chances he always did, as if he didn’t care if he lived or died. Which by then, he probably wouldn’t.

No, he vowed. He couldn’t afford to think that way. Chris would live and even if by some chance Randy remained accused of the crime – well, they’d never done a jailbreak before. It would be something new to try and he was determined they would pull it off between them. Evan would help him, even if Chris were to recover. He wouldn’t let Randy die, or rot in a state prison either.

Ted reappeared less than five minutes later, carrying only a small bag that he had arrived with and giving Cody a smile. Cody tried to smile back but it was strained, although he was damned glad that Ted seemed so convinced of Randy’s innocence and that he was staying around to help Cody during this time – it would have been easy for him to think it far too much trouble and divorce himself from the situation. Cody had the wild urge to kiss his lover right there in the street, but it was unlikely that such an action would be overlooked.

“Come on.” Ted headed down the main street with a purpose and Cody kept up, the part of him that wasn’t desperately worried admiring how Ted was taking charge. He had seen a little of that in the morning, when Ted had shyly showed off some of his newly acquired bedroom skills, but this was something else and he was damned glad that the other man wasn’t quite so emotionally invested. He suddenly wondered just where John had headed off to. They hadn’t seen him since the scene outside Chris’ house.

Ted was taking note of the signs above the doors they passed, clearly looking for something but obviously not sure quite where it was. Cody wanted to ask but since Ted hadn’t volunteered the information, he decided to remain quiet and let the other do what he thought might help without a lot of stupid questions. It wasn’t like him to merely follow without at least an idea, but he trusted Ted and he didn’t have any other ideas. Aside from breaking Randy out of jail and running for the border of course.

Ted made a sudden, quietly triumphant sound and stopped at a door, pushing it open and entering before Cody could even see what was written on the door. He found himself in an office, superficially quite plush with a desk at the front and a young man writing busily at it. He looked up and gave them a friendly smile which didn’t altogether meet his eyes; Cody immediately felt rather wary of him.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” the man asked and Cody immediately pinned him as slightly upper-class, not from Bone Orchard. He had the same manner of speaking as Ted did, somewhat refined and educated, although he noticed that Ted had taken to dropping letters and running words together the way they did the more time he spent with them. He suspected that this man took care not to do so.

And he clearly wasn’t what Ted had been expecting. The blonde hesitated a moment, then ploughed ahead although he sounded a little put off his stroke. “You’re a lawyer?”

 

A light suddenly went off in Cody’s head. A lawyer – of course. That was what Randy needed, someone who could poke holes into the case against Randy and get him out of jail. And since Randy was innocent and hadn’t harmed Chris, then it should be easy. The trouble was that lawyers were expensive and even with their ill-gotten gains there was no telling how long it would take and how much it would end up costing them. He wasn’t sure they would be able to afford it.

But Ted could.

He stared at the blonde, wondering again how he got so lucky. Ted might be rich but he knew from experience that few people were willing to lay out substantial sums on a virtual stranger, no matter how good the cause or how much money they had. The rich didn’t stay that way by spending. But Ted was willing to put himself out for Randy... Cody determined right there to find some way to repay the other for his actions. He wasn’t sure that they would be able to repay him, or that Ted would accept the money even if they broke habit and gained it by honest means, but there had to be something he could do.

“Junior partner,” said the man smoothly, but he noticed how Ted seemed slightly unnerved by his youth. Cody thought he detected a hint of a sigh, but it was well hidden. “I’ll just bring the senior partner into our discussion and we’ll see if we can offer you help.”

He rose, stepping around the desk and offering Ted his hand. “I’m Michael Mizanin,” he said and Ted offered his own pseudonym. Mizanin barely looked at Cody, probably rightly surmising who the money man was.

When Michael stepped into the back, Cody spoke to Ted in low tones. “You don’t hafta do this—“

“I know, but I want to.” Ted’s face was determined and Cody felt a little ashamed of himself; he should be thinking only of Randy’s predicament and Chris’ condition, but he couldn’t help but notice how damned handsome Ted looked in that moment. “Sounds to me like Sheriff Michaels didn’t have all that much reason to take Randy in and I don’t like it. ‘Specially after what I heard ‘bout him bein’ up at the Helmsley place while John was there. I don’t like seein’ an innocent man railroaded.”

“So you don’t think it’s justice fer us robbin’ and kidnappin’ ya?” Cody could have slapped himself, he hadn’t meant to mention that part. He didn’t want to give Ted an excuse to change his mind.

Ted smiled a little. “Honestly Cody, I’m startin’ ta think bein’ taken hostage was the best thing ta ever happen ta me.”

 

Cody didn’t know what to say and he didn’t have to formulate some meaningless reply; Mizanin returned to the room with another man following him. This man was older, more in keeping with how Cody (and presumably Ted) would imagine a lawyer to look. He was middle aged, probably trim in his youth but starting to run to fat although that was almost hidden by his suit. His hair was greying and starting to thin at the crown but his eyes were sharp enough behind the small wire-rimmed glasses he wore.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted, giving the same consideration to them both that Mizanin had and apparently coming to the same conclusion as he addressed his words slightly more to Ted and extending a hand to the blonde first to shake. “I’m Michael Cole. Please, take a seat. What can we help you with today?”

Ted and Cody both sat chairs on one side of the desk, while Cole sat behind it and Mizanin stood behind him, displaying who was the one in charge. Cody didn’t think it would stay that way forever however, Mizanin didn’t seem the type to play second fiddle for his whole career.

“You’re both called Michael?” asked Ted, something that Cody had barely noticed in his anxiety.

Cole nodded, a glimmer of amusement in his eye until Mizanin piped up. “I prefer to be called Mike,” the younger man told them and Cody saw the thinly-veiled disapproval Cole showed. A traditionalist apparently, probably offering an apprenticeship of sorts to Mizanin until he was ready to retire and hand over the reins of the business.

“And what appears to be your need for a lawyer today?” Cole asked, clearly trying to steer the conversation onto a new track.

Ted drew himself up a little, his tone brisk. “I’d like to retain you gentlemen on a criminal issue. As you’ve no doubt heard, the Mayor was brutally attacked and the sheriff has a man under arrest – however, we believe that the man has no connection to the crime. We’d just like to make sure that he gets the chance to be heard.”

 

Cody was a little awed. Ted seemed entirely different to how he usually was around Cody, businesslike, his education and rich-boy status showing with every move of his body and in every word he spoke. It was a tone that expected to be heard and was used to being listened to. And why not? Ted had mentioned that he was the accountant in his fathers extremely lucrative mine, probably when he said jump, scores of people asked how high. Cody had never seen this side of his lover before and it felt like something of a betrayal to his friends that his traitorous mind was insisting it was a helluva turn-on.

“We heard what happened to Chris,” said Mizanin, face rather dark. “News is all over town.”

 

Cole shot him a look that told him to shut up before returning his attention back to Ted. “The sheriff must have good reason to believe your friend was involved.”

 

“Not really. He was talking to Chris shortly before he was found attacked and he’s roughly the same height as the man that was seen.”

Cole nodded slowly. “That’s all?”

“That’s all. And he’s not from around here.”

“Chris is well-liked ‘round town,” Mizanin piped up again, to Cole’s barely-contained annoyance. Cody had to hide a smile, although he wondered why the man felt comfortable enough to be referring to him by his first name rather than his title. “I can see why people’d think a stranger was more likely to attack him.”

 

“He ain’t really a stranger,” added Cody. “We was ‘round these parts a couple years ago, when there was some trouble.”

“The kind of trouble people want to forget about.” Cole sighed slightly. “I’m really more used to dealing with civil and property issues, most people facing criminal charges aren’t able to afford us. However... I think young Michael here might be willing to take your friends case.”

 

Cody glanced from Ted, who looked unconvinced, to Mizanin. The man was trying to appear poker-faced but he could see from the expression that Mizanin was actually overjoyed at the endorsement. Cody considered it; probably Mizanin saw Randy as a way of making his name, making a mark and perhaps furthering his own career. It wasn’t quite as good as having someone who fervently believed in Randy’s innocence on their side, but if it was in Mizanin’s best interests to get Randy off the hook, they could use that.

He put a hand on Ted’s arm a brief moment, sensing that the blonde was about to make some noise about experience and how he could afford to pay for the best. In his opinion, Cole was not the best man for the job no matter how much older he was. “We’d sure ‘preciate it if he would,” he said, Ted nodding his agreement without hesitation. Again, Ted was putting his faith into Cody and he felt humbled at the show of trust. He tended to feel that way a lot around Ted.

“I’d be happy to,” said Mizanin, waiting for Cole to get out of the chair and bid them god day and good luck before taking his place in the vacated seat. “Now, if you’ll fill me in on the background in a little more detail I’d be grateful. And then I have to go and visit my client.”

~:~

At first John was feeling so many things that none of them were able to take a hold of his mind for long enough for him to react to. Worry over Chris, worry over Randy, rage over Randy or rather his treatment, fury against sheriff Michaels, concern over who had actually done this to Chris and whether or not they were still around... there was so much on his mind that he wasn’t sure where to begin. He couldn’t do what he would have liked, either check up on Chris or voice his concerns to his lover, there was nothing he could do for Randy and it made him feel helpless...

He walked away from the crowd, Ted having vanished somewhere after Cody no doubt, grinding his teeth and fighting to keep calm. This wasn’t right at all, Randy was not as cold blooded as to attack Chris with a damned axe-handle no matter how pissed he’d been – if his life had been in danger he would have shot and if he’d lost his cool he would have used his fists. This wasn’t Randy’s doing and yet there seemed to be very little he could do to make everyone else see that.

Or was there?

He walked for a long while, or so it seemed, thinking things over. He knew that Randy hadn’t done it but Randy hadn’t accounted for where he’d gone when he’d left Chris and no one else had stepped forward to say they’d seen him. John hadn’t seen him. Assuming that no one had seen him then that was bad. But perhaps there was something else to prove that Randy couldn’t have done what he’d been accused of, to point the finger at someone else. If there was such a thing then it was the sheriffs job to find it, but John had the doleful feeling that Shawn would be looking at his own best interests and that might not be the same as either Chris’ or Randy’s.

He gave it a while to make sure that Chris would be removed to the doctors office before heading back to the man’s house. He hadn’t expected to just be able to walk in and so wasn’t surprised to see a young man leaning on the wall outside, exactly where Randy had been waiting earlier although neither of them realised that. He looked about the same age as Ted or Cody, quite well built and blonde, exactly the type John would have put on guard duty had he been in Shawn’s position – new enough to the badge to be alert.

John had always been a popular choice for sheriff in part due to his friendly, personable nature and he pushed all his worries and frustrations aside to tap into that. If he did the job right, then he would be able to rid himself of his worries after all and he owed it to Randy and Chris both to do his damnedest to get to the bottom of this. “Hey there Deputy.”

 

The kid looked up, saw a stranger and was instantly suspicious. “Help ya?”

 

John smiled, showing his dimples – for some reason, that seemed to detract from the fact that he wasn’t a small man, made him more trustworthy. And he knew that given the vague description he’d heard, he could just as easily fit into the category given by the woman who’d found Chris himself, he didn’t want to give the kid ideas.

“Name’s Sheriff Cena,” he said. “But call me John, I’m away from home right now.”

He offered a handshake, which the kid accepted – a rookie mistake but he wasn’t about to call the man on it. Criticisms wouldn’t help him get what he wanted. “Deputy Riley,” the kid replied. “I am at home.”

Ouch. Riley wasn’t about to let up on him just because of the title, he seemed a little suspicious. John kept the smile up and went about working on the man’s guard, but aware that he might not have too much time. “I was havin’ drinks with Shawn last night, very strict ‘bout makin’ sure the law’s upheld,” he commented – well, it wasn’t exactly a lie after all. “Seems like yer doin’ a good job o’ that.”

Riley looked slightly proud and John almost cheered. He’d found the lever after all, the thing that would make Riley more amenable to John’s wishes. He wasn’t just a deputy because he wanted a steady job, he was actually committed to doing it well. John didn’t feel even slightly ashamed of manipulating that, it was just what he did when dealing with anyone in his line of work.

“Thing is Deputy, I was walkin’ ‘round and thinking ‘bout how strange this whole thing is – I was talkin’ ta Chris some this mornin’ and he seemed a little troubled, but I didn’t see this. I imagine with Chris still here and the crowds and the arrest, Shawn wouldn’t have had too much time ta look around. I was thinkin’ maybe I’d save him the trouble, given as how he’ll be busy as all-out today.” Riley looked like he was about to protest and John continued before he could. “I’m glad you’re here, because I was hopin’ a deputy might accompany me – y’know, ta make sure I wasn’t doin’ nothin’ untoward. And maybe ta help me out some too. And that way, we might find somethin’ Shawn can use ta make his case stronger.”

 

Riley hesitated but only for a moment – the thought of finding some crucial piece of evidence and winning the praise of the sheriff had clearly spoken to him. “Well, okay, I guess it couldn’t hurt nothin’. But don’t go touchin’ nothin’ Sheriff.”

The second mistake, once out of sight John could theoretically have the time and opportunity to injure Riley in some way. He would mention it to the kid once he’d gotten all this out of the way, he saw potential in the young man but he lacked experience. However, for the moment it was exactly what John had hoped for. There had to be something in the house that would prove Randy innocent... he hoped.

They walked in, John giving the door a look. “Did the lady find the door open?”

“Dunno,” said Riley absently. “She was always in here, so she had a key. And we know that he let the guy in anyway.”

They knew nothing of the kind, but John held his tongue. “Where was Chris?”

“Out back.” Riley led John through the house and to the kitchen, where John noted the sandwich as Evan had done before him.

“Are we sayin’ that in the middle of a heated argument, Chris decided ta make dinner?”

“We don’t know when he made that.”

“It’s barely curlin’ at the edges and the lady had been there ta clean before Chris got back.” John looked at the back door. “I got a real bad feelin’ ‘bout this one Riley. When I saw Chris this mornin’, he was wearin’ his gun. Are we thinkin’ that someone went to attack him and what, he ran out the back? I don’t know the man all that well, but I’m sure he would have stood his ground and that would have meant he’d still be in here when he went down. Or if he thought he was in real trouble, why wouldn’t he have shot?”

“Chris has been uh, known ta brawl on occasion,” said Riley with some reluctance and maybe a little admiration. “Usually when he’s drunk as hell though. Maybe it ain’t the same when he’s sober. You can’t take back a bullet and maybe he got cold feet when Randy went fer him.”

 

“First rule Riley,” said John, who wasn’t sure he could listen to Randy being lambasted the whole day. “Don’t think of yer suspect when y’look at the place where the crime was. If yer tryin’ ta fit ya man into the scene then y’might be missin’ somethin’ that tells ya more but don’t fit who ya got in mind.”

 

He thought that Riley might object but the kid merely nodded – willing to learn and not just willing to learn from Shawn, that gave him still more potential in John’s mind and he would have taken Riley on as one of his own deputies in a heartbeat. “Let’s go out back a moment.”

The ground was still wet where the blood had been washed away and John felt momentarily ill. But he pushed the thought away and headed over to the drying ground. “Right by the well?”

“This was where Ran – where the attacker caught up with him. Whacked him on the back of the head.”

“Right.” John looked around. “Can y’get out front from the back?”

“I dunno,” admitted Riley, going back to the house and walking around. “Yeah, there’s a gate.”

“So why wouldn’t he head for that, rather than run out here where he was trapped? It was his house, he’d hafta know.” John frowned. “I’d say he was pullin’ water and someone crept up on him. Could’ve come through that gate ya found.”

“Coulda still been our guy,” said Riley, but it lacked conviction.

“Coulda been.” John frowned at the damp spot on the ground. “But it makes no sense from what we saw here.”

He’d worried Riley, he could tell and he went over and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks fer satisfying my curiosity Deputy. I think my next stop might be ta talk ta the lady who found him.”

 

“Maria,” said Riley, still looking deeply concerned. “But ya think her husband’ll let her talk ta a stranger after what happened? A big guy?”

John hesitated and Riley continued. “I’ll go with you, if ya wait. I was supposed ta be finished and there’s someone comin’ ta take over in ‘bout half an hour. It’ll make it more official too.”

“But you’re off duty.”

Riley shrugged and John realised he’d roused the kids curiosity, he wanted to know more for his own sake rather than Randy’s. But that was fine and Riley was right, it would help him. “Fine deputy. I’ll wait for ya, then we’ll go do some diggin’ ‘round.”


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two: A Warning To The Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Dave Batista and his tumultuous past and Mike visits Randy in prison and Randy imparts some words of wisdom on the man hired to help prevent him being sent to the noose.

Meanwhile, as the town erupted into veritable chaos, a stranger reclined back on his rented bed in a rather dingy and out-of-the-way saloon hotel that he had come across by pure accident and a whole lot of luck. It was pretty much a dive (surprising considering the rest of the town was rather well-kept) but it would serve its purpose; Dave would keep his head down for a day or two, wait until the initial hype of drama wore off and then he’d go and see Hunter. He doubted Jericho was going to survive.

The axe-handle he had left behind deliberately because they wouldn’t be able to pin it on him; it had come from Chris’ store shed in his garden after all, and if they looked they’d even see the outline of it against the worn wall. Sure, he would have been a bit more thorough had the woman not interrupted him in his work but he wasn’t stupid enough to try and give chase to her or linger around.

Personally he had nothing against the man, and it mattered not a donkey’s ass to him whether he did make it or not, but if he survived then Hunter would be pissed… he didn’t think the man would have the stones to try and keep payment from him but he didn’t doubt the man would try anyway. However, given the potential damage that he had done Dave reckoned that Chris may well retire from his position and either way it would give Hunter the end that he wanted so it hardly mattered.

Reaching into the pocket of his well-worn shirt Dave pulled out a packet of cigarettes and some matches, striking it against the wall and lighting the item hanging from his lips. Putting the match out he tossed it into the small pot on the bedside table and then reclined back, smoke rings emitting from between his lips now and again. He was the picture of perfect serenity really, and he knew it.

Now, Dave hadn’t always been like this you understand. He hadn’t always been a cold-blooded killer. Not five year ago, give or take a few days, he had been a well-adjusted, happy family man; he had had a home, a wife and they had just been blessed with their first child, a beautiful little girl with his dark hair and her mother’s nose and lips, her eyes being the initial non-descript blue all babies carried and then turning a deep dark brown...

It had been maybe a moon’s change after his daughter’s eye-colour had changed when it happened. He had been over in the next town on business, being a rather successful hunter he was in high demand for good meats or furs, and whilst he had been gone their town had been raided by Indians. Their town was near a reservation, true, and though there had always been a tension between them and the savages, nothing had ever happened before that was enough to convince people to take a more vigilant stance in case of future incidents. They had all been so naïve.

His young wife had been beaten and raped in the plundering and destruction of the village, Dave hearing-tell that four of the beasts had assaulted his defenceless wife in front of his baby daughter, before they left her there to die. The child had been kidnapped for no one could find her anywhere when the beasts finally left the ravaged and almost completely annihilated town in smouldering ruins and many had tried their hardest to look. Dave had returned to find his wife had died from her injuries and his child was missing, presumed potentially dead; who knew what those heathens might do to her? The funeral for his wife and the other men and women who had been overwhelmed by the savages occurred whilst the town was literally still warm from the dying flames, and as her body was lowered into the ground Dave cursed the Indians and made a vow.

He vowed to avenge her, and their daughter, and he did it. In the dead of night Dave used all his skill from hunting animals to slaughter and massacre every single man in that village. He couldn’t bring himself to harm the women and children, but when they attacked him in desire for their own revenge he had no choice but to subdue them. As the village burnt to the ground and the survivors fled Dave felt lighter than he had in days, but the darkness that had enveloped his heart wasn’t assuaged.

Soon, he stopped feeling altogether. The first time he had killed without personal cause had been an accident, but from there he found himself being approached more and more as he wandered towns, his reputation not quite preceding him per se but having enough of an aura around him that people seemed to know what he was capable of… or maybe they just assumed. Either way if they paid up he shut up those who were causing them issue. It was just business, nothing personal; nothing had been personal to him for the longest of times.

Dave smashed out his cigarette with unnecessary violence as he roused himself from his memories. His previous ease at a job’s completion was filled with a strong sense of restless anger. Looking to the time he saw that it was still pretty early, not too long past noon despite the fact it seemed longer, and he decided he’d go and visit the establishment he had heard several gentlemen whispering about on his way through the paupers’ saloon. Some time with a woman might calm him down and clear his head, enable him to act like the professional that he was if someone somehow managed to point the finger in his direction. Rest assured though that if he ended up going down Hunter was going to break his fall.

~:~

Ted hesitated, obviously unsure what exactly was appropriate and helpful and what wasn’t. Mike opened up a ledger and picked up a pen, writing what appeared to be the date and a log-number on the corner of the first available fresh page. Though Ted had to admit his inexperience and age were still uneasy factors for him the man’s professional manner helped indeed and he sighed; Cody was happy enough with this man and if he proved to be as good as Ted was hoping then he would ensure the man was handsomely rewarded. “Well, my friend John and I—“

Mike looked up, brow furrowing, “John Morrison?”

Ted shook his head, minutely annoyed by the interruption but not showing it, “Sheriff, Sheriff John Cena, he’s an out-of-towner like myself.” Mike scribbled this information down and indicated that he continue “And he asked us about a little meeting,” Ted’s lip curled, “That John had with Hunter Helmsley.” This time Mike’s lip was the one to curl.

“Basically Hunter had offered John a proposition of business that John wanted no part of and John left, the man being obviously disgruntled…” for the first time Cody piped up with the additional factor of, “Chris was kinda worried because he’s been havin’ trouble from the man over land and property recently.” Though Mike might not deem this all relevant he thought it sure as hell was.

They weren’t exactly indicating Hunter in what had happened but they were just proving that there was many a circumstance that could potentially have led to what happened that day. To give him credit Mike was very professional in that he wasn’t disputing them right from the off, merely writing down what he deemed necessary information. “So Chris wanted to know what Hunter wanted with Sheriff Cena, and then he parted company from you two?”

Ted nodded his head and Cody filled in, “I reckon this must’ve been the time we’d finished breakfast.”

Mike seemed to be relaxing slightly around him with regards to giving Cody attention now that it was apparent he had some good input on how much Ted was going to be paying the man… something Cody would forever appreciate and probably never be able to pay him back for properly even though he knew one way or another he was going to make it up to the man. “Where were you eating?” Cody gave the name of their lodgings and Mike nodded, “So, did… Randy?” Cody nodded to confirm the name, “Tell you he was going to talk to Chris about anything?”

“Yeah, he did,” Cody said, mind working quickly to think about how much he could explain without outing the situation between Chris and Evan, “Our friend, Evan…” Cody exhaled a breath, “He’s thinkin’ of settlin’ down here—“Ted’s eyes widened and his head snapped toward Cody, Mike mercifully missing the action because he had been writing something down again, “‘N’ that Chris had apparent found a job fer ‘im. Randy wanted to go ‘n’ see if that was true.”

If Mike thought there was anything odd about that he didn’t show it in his face, though he did ask, “Why would Randy care about that?”

Cody sighed and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. He looked like a young child, uncertain and wary, and Ted wished he could offer comfort, hold his hand or something. However that would be highly inappropriate and so he merely contented himself to just give a small nod of encouragement.

Though Mike wasn’t a sheriff or his deputy, he was a figure of authority and Ted supposed that that was something that would make the younger man uncomfortable even though he wasn’t in trouble because there was a lot on his head, as the old saying went… or on Randy’s neck, if you wanted to be technical. “Evan, Randy ‘n’ I travel together. We’re kinda pretty much all the others got, ya know? They’re both like my brothers.” Mike nodded; that did explain why he was there, but Ted’s involvement was still a bit of a mystery.

“Did you see Randy when he finished speaking with Chris?” Mike asked, flipping a page in his ledger and Cody sighed, shaking his head, Ted mimicking the gesture alongside him. “I see…” Mike’s brow furrowed and he looked between the two, “Is there anything more ya can tell me?”

Cody looked at him, “A woman apparently reported what had happened, but I don’ know who she is.”

“Well… it’ll sure help if we can find out who the lady was, that’s fer sure.” Mike finished writing something on his notes and then looked up, “If there’s anything else in the future gentlemen then I’d appreciate if you let me know as soon as you remember.”

The blonde and ravenette nodded their heads immediately, “Of course.”

Mike stood up then and shook both of their hands before stepping around the table, “I’ll go an’ see if I can have a chat with Randy now and then I’ll come an’ find you both once I’ve conducted a preliminary report Ok?”

Ted’s brow furrowed slightly at the way Mike changed between formal and informal but he had a feeling that this man would do his darndest to make sure this case was solved; the sparkle of interest in the man’s eyes when they had been talking hadn’t been missed by Cody. Silently he prayed that Mike could do something otherwise everything was going to go to hell. And, to think, not earlier that morning his only upsets had been the thoughts of leaving Ted behind and Evan leaving them to remain in the town.

“We appreciate your efforts, Mr Mizanin,” Ted said.

Mike waved a hand, “Mike, please. Now then, can I get in touch with you at your lodgings?” Ted nodded and then gave the name of where he was staying and then they exited the lawyer’s office.

As Mike made his way towards the jailhouse Cody scuffed the ground nervously with his shoe and exhaled a breath. “Fuck…” he had no idea how he was going to be able to cope with all of this. He was essentially alone, he hadn’t been alone for a good long while and it was a little frightening.

“It’ll be Ok,” Ted’s voice sounded softly to his side and the ravenette turned to look at him. Placing a hand atop Cody’s shoulder he squeezed it softly, it being the best that he could do considering that anything more would just look off. “Come on… Let’s go find somewhere quiet and have something to eat.” It’d take their mind off of everything, and there was little more they could do at this stage.

“Yeah… Yeah I guess so…” he murmured, allowing Ted’s hand on his shoulder to guide him, his legs feeling somewhat wobbly. “Maybe we should get somethin’ t’take through t’Evan when we’re done…” knowing his friend wouldn’t leave as he had said earlier, he had a bad feeling that the other wasn’t going to be thinking about food at all.

“That’s a good idea,” Ted nodded his head in approval, “Let’s go.” The walk was quiet, each man lost to their own thoughts and it seemed like no time at all before they had settled down and their food was arriving before them, ready to eat.

~:~

Just as Shawn had finished composing the message and sent it off, settling back in his chair, the door to the jailhouse opened. For a moment his hand flew to his gun, expecting Evan and Cody to be there, or even John, but when Mike Mizanin appeared in the doorway Shawn’s brow furrowed, “The hell d’ya want boy?”

Mike adjusted the expensive looking cravat around his neck in an arrogant manner just designed to piss Shawn off, and it worked. “I’m here on business, Mr Sheriff,” he announced.

The blonde’s brows furrowed and a frown pulled at his mouth, “And what business in tha’ Mizanin?”

Mike looked towards the cells when a groan sounded, his expression pinching as he moved forward, watching a very tall man who looked not too much older than himself seeming to rouse himself, lain flat out on the floor and currently touching his jaw gingerly. “Randy?” he tested, pretending not to notice the slight twitch Shawn gave behind him—apparently he wasn’t supposed to be aware of who this man was.

The man’s eyes opened, blinking blearily at him a few times before he then slowly nodded his head, “Yeah… who wants t’know?”

“Michael Mizanin, call me Mike though Ok? I’ve been hired to represent ya case concerning the incident with our Mayor, Chris.” A choked and highly unhealthy sound left the man behind him and Mike turned his head, arching a brow, “Y’Ok there, Mr Sheriff?” Shawn grabbed a glass of water from the side and nodded, drinking it as Mike turned back towards Randy. He was gingerly climbing to his feet and Mike internally whistled as he saw the size of Randy. However, height wasn’t everything and from experience he was aware Chris was no pushover. Randy was nursing his jaw and looked mad.

“Somethin’ happen to your jaw, Randy?” Mike asked and Randy looked over his shoulder. The Sheriff was the only one in the room and although rough-handling of suspects without cause was frowned upon there wasn’t many a person who would challenge the word of a suspect against the Sheriff… hence the reason Mike was there to begin with. Moving on from the topic he then looked to Shawn, “Excuse me Sheriff, but I’m gonna need him outta there an’ we’re gonna need some privacy.”

Shawn’s face turned an unattractive shade of puce but he couldn’t argue; one of their town’s fundamental rulings, made by Chris and still in effect regardless of his current inactivity, was that a man has the right to private legal counsel. Later Shawn would be able to be present, but for now Mike would only talk to Randy.

Muttering to himself somewhat Shawn then moved and exited the jailhouse, “I’ll be outside,” he warned, “Yeh’ve got ten minutes, Mizanin.” Mike resisted the urge to stick his tongue out like a petulant child when the door closed behind their sheriff; the man was a right beast to anyone who was younger than him and he came into contact with, regardless of their job or connections, not liking the prospect of being outshined. “Ten minutes…” yeah, like ten minutes were going to be long enough.

Sighing softly Mike then grabbed the chair that Randy had been sitting on earlier and then swung it around and sat down on it. Notebook being procured from his pocket once more he then pulled out a pen and said, “Ok Randy, do ya wanna tell me what happened today?”

Randy eyed the man with obvious distrust, “Yeh’re a lawyer, right?”

Mike nodded his well-styled head and assured him that he was indeed a lawyer and not just some random yeoman who could afford a nice suit. Randy’s brow furrowed, “I doubt that yeh’re here outta goodwill alone, Mike, so why’re ya here?” Not that he was ungrateful, actually, because a lawyer could be a big help if he knew what he was doing, but Randy didn’t understand what exactly was going on.

“A Mr Smith and another gentleman came to see me…” he consulted his notes, “Cody?”

Randy’s attention immediately perked at the sound of the names. “Cody came t’see ya? An’ Smith… Wait, Smith’s payin’ ya t’come here fer me?” His eyes widened and Mike mused that it was apparently a spur of the moment thing since neither Cody nor Randy seemed to have anticipated such a move by Mr Smith.

Nodding, the brunette clucked his tongue, “Right concerned about ya they are. They wanted me t’help ya and I’ll sure do my best. Now, I’ve got some idea about what happened today but I think it’s time yeh told me how you perceive everything to have gone.”

Sighing, Randy waved his cuffed hands absently and sighed, “Well, there’s not much t’tell when ya think about it.”

“Ty me,” Mike offered and Randy took a breath before giving a basic run-down of his day; breakfast with his boys and then visiting Chris. However, when Mike asked about the conversation he and Evan had upon the young man’s plans of settling in Bone Orchard, Randy almost fell over on the bench he was sat on.

“Evan? Cody toldja abou’ Evan?” when Mike nodded Randy sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, “It wouldn’ be safe fer ‘im t’stay,” Randy muttered, “I was goin’ t’talk t’Chris to find out exactly what he had promised Evan if he decided to stay here. Chris’ offer was probably t’repay the help we’d given ‘im in the past.”

That was a bald-faced lie but he could hardly admit the truth since it would place Evan’s neck in the noose and anyone helping keep Chris from biting the big one would probably just leave him to do exactly that. They needed some sort of reason considering that Chris was nice, but offering a seeming stranger a job and place to stay out of the blue was just a little bit too kind.

“So, he’s got this Evan fella a job an’ offered him a place to stay,” that checked out, “Did you and Chris argue?”

Randy frowned heavily, that expression telling Mike all he needed to know but he waited for Randy to sigh and nod, “Yeah we did, but I left not long after that. I went out the front door ‘n’ just kinda made my way back t’town. I saw the Morrison’s boy having some lunch on my walk back.”

When Randy’s brow furrowed suddenly, as though a thought had occurred to him, Mike prompted lightly, “Go on, Randy.”

Randy shook his head, “Well, the boy wasn’ too far away from the house… I was jus’ thinkin’ that maybe he may’ve seen somethin’. I mean, he would’ve heard somethin’ fer sure given the way Maria was screamin’ the place down—“

Mike’s head popped up interestedly. “Maria?” he asked and Randy nodded, explaining that she was Chris’ house-keeper; Evan had mentioned the woman’s name to them when he had admitted how he had thought she was his then not-quite-serious-lover’s lover, but that little tidbit he obviously kept to himself. “I see. Maria…” he knew only one Maria in town and with any luck she would be able to shed some more light on this situation. “Is there anythin’ else you want t’tell me, Randy?” Mike asked conscious that their time was ticking away rapidly.

Randy’s smirk was dark as he looked to the door and then back to Mike, “Don’ trust the sheriff, and watch yer back kid; some people ain’t gonna like the thought of my innocence bein’ proven, an’ they might try’n persuade ya t’jus’ let me swing.”

Before Mike could comment the door opened and a suspicious looking Shawn sauntered back inside. “Well, thanks fer comin’ in t’see me Mike, much appreciated,” Randy’s whole demeanour change, arrogance and confidence exuding from him. Had Mike not figured the catalyst to be Shawn he would have thought he’d just been introduced to the world’s greatest actor.

“N-No problem, Randy,” Mike’s easy confidence returned as well, turning and nodding to Shawn, “Thanks very much, Mr Sheriff, I got what I needed.” As Mike headed from the jailhouse to seek out Maria Ziggler’s home he felt Shawn’s eyes burning into the back of his head and a prickle of unease ran down his spine.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Laying The Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria recounts what happened for John and Alex, and then the two men find themselves recounting to Chris. Mike laments on Randy's state and Alex finds himself dithering between duty and apparent inconsistencies. Meanwhile, Wade and Evan have a little chat whilst watching over Chris.

As soon as Riley’s replacement had arrived John led the man back towards the town. The young deputy at his side was still frowning somewhat in obvious thought and John knew that now he had managed to plant a seed of reasonable doubt in the young man’s mind (doubt regarding the story the sheriff was obviously spinning and that the outsider had no reason to really dispute) he had to be careful to keep adding fertiliser to it and keep it growing. He needed as much evidence as he could get to cast doubt on Shawn’s unsupported claims that Randy was Chris’ assailant.

It was quite lucky that Riley (“Alex Riley, but everyone calls me A-Ri,” he’d said when John had asked for his first name) happened to know where Maria lived otherwise John would have had to have walked back and forth around the streets knocking on doors randomly until he had managed to find someone who knew where Chris’ house-keeper lived. He felt bad for disturbing her so soon after such a traumatic incident but they didn’t really have the time to waste to be sensitive.

Stopping outside of the door Riley indicated, John then brought his hand up and knocked. It seemed for a moment that no one was in, but then a rather tall man with surprisingly blonde hair appeared after a few moments. His face immediately hardened in suspicion at the sight of John, but his stance didn’t relax even when Riley made his presence known. “Afternoon, Dolph,” Riley said politely, nodding his head.

The man arched a brow, “Riley,” he acknowledged before looking to John, “Somethin’ I can help ya with?”

John tipped his hat politely, “Excuse me sir. M’name’s John Cena, I’m an out of town Sheriff who’s helping look int’ the incident of the Mayor’s attack.”

Though Dolph still seemed suspicious of John he obviously couldn’t dispute the fact that John could be there considering that he had the deputy of the town’s sheriff with him. “Alrigh’, Sheriff—“

John cut across him with a sweet dimpled smile, “John, please, Mr Ziggler.”

Dolph looked momentarily unimpressed at the interruption, but with John looking so innocent he could hardly linger on it. Instead he continued, “What can I do for ya?”

John looked to Riley and the man nodded, then saying, “Actually sir, I kinda need a word wit’ ya wife.”

Red blotches of anger started on Dolph’s face, “Damn it, man, she’s gone through enough! Can’ you all jus’ leave ‘er alone--!”

His rant was cut off by a soft female voice coming from further inside the house, “Dolph? Who is it?”

The blonde immediately softened as he turned, John seeing a pretty young lady with voluminous deep red hair standing in the hallway. “Maria, y’should be in bed restin’ like Dr Ross said—“he chided gently but she waved him off.

“It’s Ok hun, I feel better now.” Dr Ross had given her a mild sedative to help her get some sleep before and she was feeling the lingering calming effects even though the sleep aspect had worn off.

“Hey Maria,” Riley greeted with a kind smile and she returned it.

“Hello Alex.”

John tipped his hat and then removed it respectfully, “I’m sorry t’disturb ya ma’am.”

“Dolph, let them in,” Maria chided softly and Dolph sighed before nodding and stepping back. Maria then led them all into the living-room, addressing John, “Don’ worry about it Mister--?”

John waved a hand, “John.”

Maria nodded her head, “John. If there’s somethin’ I can help ya with…”

John’s face and voice were soft, “I don’ wanna upset ya Mrs Ziggler, but I need yer help concernin’ what happened to Mayor Jericho.” The redhead paled slightly but then clasped her hands together and nodded. Dolph appeared with a soft drink for he and Riley both, nothing for himself and a cup of something hot and strong (and possibly alcohol laced) for his wife. His arm then enveloped her shoulders protectively.

“I don’…” she bit her lip, brushing her hair behind one ear with her free hand, taking a sip of her drink and trying again, “I don’ really know what happened. I mean, I’m not normally scheduled to work today but Chris had arranged to give me overtime…” Dolph looked embarrassed but Maria merely leant her head on his shoulder; they were trying for a family so all they could get helped.

“So I went over. An’ I thought it was weird ‘cause the door was open but he wasn’ in the living-room. So I wen’ int’ the kitchen an’ there’s a sandwich on the side…” Which was left exactly where those who had found Chris had seen it, John thought morosely, “An’ ‘cause the back door was open I figured he must be outside, an’ when I looked—“

The cup in her hand suddenly jerked and Dolph hastened to steady her, levelling glares at John and Riley respectively before then speaking to his wife softly, “Maybe ya should just stop now sweetie, ya can talk to ‘em later.” Maria shook her head firmly and although John didn’t fault Dolph for looking out for her best interests he couldn’t help but admire the woman’s courage.

“The Mayor was on the floor, an’ he wasn’ movin’ so I thought he was…” a small sob bubbled up from her throat and she took a deep drink and closed her eyes for a few moments, “I screamed, an’ the man stood over Chris turned around. I didn’ stay long when he noticed me, I turned and ran, came right back here and ran t’Wade. It’s closer than our house and I jus’ did’ think; I was terrified he was followin’ me.” John had to resist the urge to whoop and punch the air; if Maria had seen the assailant then with any luck they could prove that Randy hadn’t been the one to attack the Mayor. However, before he could speak, Riley piped up a question.

 

“Can ya describe him fer us, Maria?” Oh yes, the kid had some serious potential. It was a shame to consider that with Shawn as a mentor and the man being potentially crooked meant that he was potentially going to squander and waste his talents.

Maria’s brow furrowed, and then she shrugged helplessly before giving them an apologetic look, “Not so much m’afraid Alex,” she sighed. The redhead motioned for John to stand, “He was bigger even than you, John, by at least a good few inches.” John suddenly felt uneasy.

Placing a hand over his head to indicate a few more inches, the level of Randy’s height, he asked, “Was he around this height?”

Maria seemed to consider it and then shook her head, “No… he was wearing a hat but I could tell he was tall without it. And really, really broad in the shoulders, muscular… he wearing a really long coat…” she shivered; there had been something about the man in general that had had every instinct she possessed screaming to get away. “I ain’t never seen a fella like that before in my life.”

Riley and Dolph looked as confused as John, and John had to admit that surprised him; obviously that wasn’t someone local to the area otherwise he would probably have been recognised by them all. Riley picked up the questioning, “So he was real tall, over 6’ 5” would ya say? An’ real muscular?”

Maria nodded and Dolph’s arm tightened around his wife; he was probably thinking about how lucky Maria was to have gotten away from the maniac, Lord only knew what a man like that could have done to a woman if he had been so violent towards a healthy man who could look after himself.

“So, it’s definitely not this fella here—“John pulled out the copy of Randy’s wanted poster, though kept the wanted part hidden.

Maria took a good long moment to look, brow furrowed and obviously straining her memory hard. “No… No I really don’ reckon it was.”

If she could see this man in person she would know for sure, because she was sure as sugar clear on just what the man’s body type was like. “Would you maybe come and try ‘n’ identify ‘im in person, to make sure?”

“Tomorrow,” Dolph cut across Maria before she could respond to Dolph’s question, “Not today, tomorrow. She’s done more than enough fer ya all today, alrigh’?”

Maria sighed and nodded, knowing her husband wasn’t about to back down this time around. “Tomorrow’s fine,” Riley assured and John nodded, shaking Maria’s soft hand, “Thank ya very much ma’am, yeh’ve been real helpful to us indeed.” They began making their way to the front door, John opening it and preparing to step outside, Riley on his heels.

A hand connected with his chest, John’s brows rising as he looked across at the well-dressed young man who had knocked on his chest as opposed to the door. “Oh!” he blinked very blue eyes at him when he cocked his head, “Who’re you?”

John opened his mouth to return the question back to the newcomer when Riley’s voice suddenly sounded, “Mike? What’re you doin’ ‘ere?”

‘Mike’s’ eyes widened a fraction before his face became a smooth professional mask, “I’m here to get confirmation of some facts t’do with the Mayor’s case ‘n’ I’ve heard that Maria can help me out with—“

Mike was cut off as a loud curse sounded behind them. Mike’s brow arched and Dolph’s brow furrowed as he came forward, “Mike? What the hell does a lawyer want with us? Maria didn’ do anythin’ wrong!”

Mike brought his hands up, about to apologise and assure Dolph that Maria was in the clear when John suddenly said, “Yeh’re a lawyer? Who’re yeh representin’?” Surely it wasn’t…

If Mike was startled by the barrage he was facing, he didnt’ show it. “I’ve been hired ta represent the man accussed of harmin’ Chris.” Coolly, he took a slight step back so that he could see Maria and Dolph behind John – the man took up a lot of space. “Nothin’ ta worry about Mrs Ziggler, but if now’s not a good time I can come back when it is.”

Dolph was starting to look good and mad. “It ain’t a good time. Maria’s just been talkin’ to the deputy ‘bout what happened and she don’t really need ta go over it all again right now. She’s upset.”

“Of course.” Mike gave a sympathetic smile that John wasn’t entirely convinced was real. “This evenin’ perhaps? Tomorrow?”

“Later today,” said Maria and when Dolph went to protest she gently cut him off. “I won’t feel safe until whoever did this to Chris is put away – and he’s been good to us honey, if there’s somethin’ I can do ta get the man what did this punished, then I want ta do it.”

Dolph sighed, running a hand through his oddly light hair. “Come back in an hour,” he said, less than friendly.

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Mike nodded to Dolph and stepped off the threshold alongside John and Riley as Dolph closed the door behind them. Mike’s eyes went to Riley and John could have sworn he almost hesitated, although it seemed at odds with his otherwise smooth behaviour. “Can you boys fill me in on what Mrs Ziggler told you in the meantime?”

“I got some questions first,” said John, his heart starting to thud. He knew that Shawn was unlikely to let him in to see Randy, probably not Cody or Evan either, but this Mike would have done if he was acting as Randy’s lawyer – and John could make a good guess as to who hired him. There was only one person rich enough, likely to be in Randy’s corner and would think the legal way the best way to go about things. “You seen Randy?”

Riley was looking at him from the corner of his eye and John knew he was close to giving away his vested interest in Randy being found innocent – well, it would have happened as soon as the kid got to the station and mentioned him anyway, probably he would have realised as soon as anyone said they had been seen eating together.

Mike nodded, inspecting his sleeve and brushing away imaginary dust. “Yes, I’ve seen him.”

“How’s he holdin’ up?”

“Not too bad, considerin’,” replied Mike. “Had an accident fallin’ down the stairs at the jail.”

“There ain’t no stairs at the jail,” said Riley with clear confusion.

Mike met Alex’s eyes. “Stairs were arranged.” He looked back at John again. “Bruise on the jaw, probably bored and hungry, nothin’ else. He seems ta think the sheriff might be plannin’ ta railroad him inta takin’ the fall for somethin’ he didn’t do. He insists he’s innocent and I’m gonna do my best ta make sure everyone else believes it too.” His eyes slid back to Riley a moment, then onto John again.

John scowled at the thought of Randy being unarmed and probably defenceless should Shawn decide to try something – there wasn’t much Randy’s height and strength could do when he was cuffed and locked up. He needed to get his lover free, sooner rather than later. And then Randy would probably high-tail it out of town, but John thought he might stay a while longer. He wanted to know who’d done this, not only to get a dangerous man put away but also to clear Randy’s name for good. The man had done plenty wrong but he didn’t deserve to be accused of this.

“I don’t remember you bein’ one of Sheriff Michaels deputies,” Mike said smoothly.

“I ain’t.” John extended his hand, being perhaps a touch too forceful when Mike shook with him. “Sheriff John Cena. I’m from outta town and I figured with somethin’ like this happenin’, I could lend a hand lookin’ into it."

Mike looked completely unconvinced but John hadn’t been out to convince him. “So, now you’ve ‘looked into it’, do you think Randy’s the one who attacked Chris?”

“No,” said John immediately. “Nothin’ we found so far suggests it was him and some stuff we heard downright points the other way.”

Mike’s eyes gleamed. “Care ta tell me more about it?”

“Dare say ya’ll hear it in yer meetin’ with Miss Maria,” snapped Riley, startling John a little with the antagonistic way he spoke. “Ya’ll probably be disappointed y’ain’t gettin’ the chance ta milk no more money outta him by draggin’ things out longer, but that’s the way life goes. C’mon John, we’d better be gettin’ back ta town.”

Mike looked slightly taken aback for the first time and John didn’t like the way he’d been spoken to but let it pass – whatever the story there was, it wasn’t important. He had other things on his mind. Still, he couldn’t help some comment when they had walked (quite rapidly) out of Mike’s earshot. “You don’t think that Mike character’s the best one for the job?”

“You kiddin’?” Riley made some sound between a snort and a chuckle. “That one could charm the birds from the trees and talk them puritans on the edge o’ town inta sheddin’ their clothes an’ whoopin’ it up.” John’s lips twitched slightly at the mental image that presented. “I’m sure he’ll have that Randy fella free in no time. Now I got a question fer you – you were sure already that he weren’t the one behind the attack, weren’t ya?”

“Yeah, I was.” John knew he could only press his pretence so far – he’d already worked out that Alex Riley was sharp. But he didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble when things were already so precarious for all of them. “I think maybe sheriff Michaels was lookin’ fer an easy answer and Randy was it.”

“Yeah, well I knew you were convinced he was innocent from the start,” said Riley moodily. “I’m just startin’ ta wish you ain’t convinced me of it too. The sheriff’s gonna be sore ‘bout makin’ a mistake.”

“Better that than an innocent man hangin’ and the real crook goin’ free though.”

“I know.” Riley didn’t look like that was much consolation though.

“The sheriff,” said John carefully, he knew that Riley had his job to consider and might not be totally honest. “He a good man?”

“There ain’t never been trouble in town like this before, while I been deputy,” replied Riley. “Mostly fights and some stealin’, small stuff. Sheriff Michaels always did a good job.”

John nodded, but he thought that what was unsaid spoke volumes about Riley’s new-found uncertainty.

~:~

Jim Ross had checked over Chris again, taking his pulse and checking his eyes to make sure everything was alright before leaving the room, indicating for Gail to go with him – he was a believer in allowing recovery time and Chris wasn’t going to get better or worse with the medics hovering over him. He might be sped to recovery faster if his friends were allowed to talk openly to the unconscious man however, he had seen such things before but few people felt they could converse while he listened in the background. He would have other patients as it was, probably some of them imagining their symptoms so that they could get into the office and perhaps hear the talk of what was going on with the mayor, but they wouldn’t hear that from either himself or Gail until the man was well and truly on the mend, or the Calloway’s got a hold of him. And once that happened, there was no mending to be done.

Head injuries were tricky though, hard to predict. Chris was out and might stay that way for a while, he might wake up and have had his brains scrambled like a dropped egg. He might remain unconscious until he died. But Jim was cautiously optimistic about Chris’ chances, the man was a stubborn son of a bitch. He was rather tempted to leave the door open a touch to hear what was said within the small room, but it was only a passing thought – he had more respect for people than that. If Chris took a sudden turn for the worse or if he woke, then there were two men in the room who would alert him. In the meantime, rest was the best he could give his patient.

Wade slumped in a chair in the corner of the room, a dark frown on his face. His eyes went between the door, Chris’ still form and the young man Evan, who had pulled a chair right up to Chris’ cot just as soon as the doctor had left the room. He was pretty young Wade noticed, handsome, but he looked more than just worried. Terrified might have been a closer description. Wade thought that he and Chris had become friends since his arrival at Bone Orchard and he could tell that something had changed with the man over the last couple of days – pretty much since Wade had let out a room to Cena and Smith. And while those two were supposed to share that room, one or the other had been absent from it and another man had been in their place. He didn’t comment or judge – it wasn’t his place, it wasn’t good for business and it would be a mite hypocritical of him to do so – but he knew what was going on.

And he was almost certain that Chris had been involved with the young man currently at his bedside. Evan should have been with the other young man that had shared Smith’s bed, given that he was travelling with him and it was their friend accused of the crime, but there he was by Chris’ side. And this thing about staying in town – well, Wade suspected that Chris had something to do with that decision. Chris had never alluded to his preferences out loud but the moment he had suspected what Wade’s were, he had been anything but shocked.

“Chris was findin’ you a job?” he asked out of the blue.

Evan didn’t seem to have remembered that Wade was in the room, looking up with some confusion and then nodding. “Yeah. He said there might be somethin’ goin’ at the James farm and I’ve worked that kinda thing before.”

“And stayin’ with him?”

“Yeah.” Evan’s eyes flashed slightly and Wade knew that although Evan was currently upset, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight back if attacked, verbally or otherwise. The Englishman suspected the younger man was quite the spitfire. Exactly the kind of person Chris needed in his life.

Wade merely nodded. “Chris has quite the bruise on his collar. Day or so old. Looks more like a bite mark to me.”

Evan regarded him warily and Wade managed a slightly weary smile. “Your friend Randy, the one they locked up. He was talkin’ to Chris about you stayin’?”

“Yeah,” said Evan again and this time there was a definite dangerous undertone at the line of questioning. “He didn’t do this to Chris. It doesn’t matter how mad he got, he would never have hit him from behind with a piece of wood. He knew—“ Evan paused a second. “He doesn’t have it in him to be sneaky like that. And he knew it wouldn’t have done any good.”

Wade could have commented on how people did things that were out of character through sheer frustration, but didn’t. “If what you’re sayin’s true, then there’s someone out to get Chris still walkin’ around free.”

Evan nodded slowly, as if that had been the least of his considerations. Which Wade rather supposed it had been and would continue to be, at least until Evan was convinced Chris would be okay, when it would return to the fore and come out in a need for revenge. “I don’t know that it’s safe for him to be goin’ home when he wakes up, if that’s the case.” Evan looked like he might protest and Wade raised a hand. “I know you’re there, that might not make a difference if the guy breaks in with a gun while you’re sleepin’. I got a spare room at my place, be a lot harder for anyone to try shit surrounded by a whole lotta other people.” He raised his eyebrows slightly. “Might be best if you both stayed there. You can still keep an eye on Chris and there’ll be people right down the hall.”

Evan was rather startled, but the message was clear; Wade seemed to know what he and Chris were to each other and more than that, he didn’t seem to care. Maybe Chris had said something to him since the two were friends – but it wasn’t the kind of thing men spoke with to each other, no matter how friendly they were for fear of reprisals. Still, maybe Wade had guessed.

“I’ll see what Chris wants ta do when he comes ‘round,” he said. “But thanks. I ‘preciate it.”

“It’s fine,” said Wade gruffly, apparently not used to gratitude. “He’d better come ‘round soon. I got a business ta run.”

“I can keep an eye on him,” said Evan softly.

Wade wondered if the man thought it wasn’t Chris that Wade was keeping an eye on, but Evan himself. “I’m sure you can,” he said. “Only I wouldn’t feel right about not bein’ around. I wanna be here to make sure Chris is okay, then I wanna go find this bastard and nail him to a tree.”

“I’ll bring the hammer,” said Evan, smiling rather weakly and Wade laughed a little, watching as Evan brushed a strand of thick blonde hair from Chris’ face. Just that one gesture said more about how Evan felt about the mayor than he had probably meant it to.

~:~

Ted was a little worried; Cody had barely touched his meal, simply pushing it around the plate and then eating as little as he could get away with seemingly only to keep himself going. But then, it was probably hard for him to eat anything. He planned for them to take food to Evan, find how Chris was, see if they could check on Randy (he didn’t think they would be allowed to be honest) then take Cody back to his room for some rest. And he did mean rest. He expected that Mizanin would inform them when he had done whatever preliminary enquiries he might be doing and the man would know where to find them. Better for Cody to have some privacy to rest off his upset and be ready for whatever came next than to wander aimlessly around, wondering what the hell they could do.

He arranged for a plate to take away, the lady at the counter packing the food away for him and wrapping it in paper to keep it at least a little warm and protected. Cody stayed at the table, his entire body seeming to broadcast listlessness. Ted frowned slightly, then returned his attention back to the lady at the counter – Kelly, Cody had called her when they arrived. He barely noticed when another lady walked into the building, he certainly didn’t notice the way she perked up when she saw Cody. However, he was hard-pressed not to notice when he turned back to his lover, the wrapped plate in hand and saw her sitting in the seat he had recently vacated, talking quietly to the brunette.

Cody had been feeling miserable enough, in spite of all that Ted had done to make things better for him – and he suspected that without those efforts, he would feel even more wretched. Even so, he hadn’t thought it possible for his spirits to plummet any lower, yet that was just what happened when Layla slid into the seat opposite him. He wasn’t in the mood to be polite to her, not after the almost-hysterics she’d had the last time they’d been together, when she seemed to think he’d be staying around to marry her. This in spite of the fact that he’d specifically said he was leaving town the very next day. She’d come on strong regardless and then seemed disbelieving that he could consider leaving her after that.

“Cody!” Her voice was bright. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been avoidin’ me!”

Cody didn’t dispute this, although it wasn’t exactly true, gave no answer at all and Layla looked a little annoyed before the smile was back in place. Cody noticed that she was dressed to accentuate her natural prettiness and wondered if she’d been doing so since he got back to town. He had seen her earlier on of course, when she had announced she’d seen Randy at Chris’, but it had barely registered with him.

“Looks like y’might be stayin’ around a while this time,” she added and Cody didn’t know if he’d imagined the glint in her eye but given how things had gone that day, he thought he was entitled to think the worst.

“That why ya told everyone how ya saw Randy at Chris’?”

“I said it because it was the truth,” she replied, seeming rather hurt and Cody supposed that was right too – Randy had been there after all. Still, it seemed ironic. “Goodness knows why he attacked the mayor but I guess it means ya won’t be ridin’ out with him now.”

Cody bristled. “Randy didn’t do nothin’ and when he gets out, I’ll be ridin’ out with him again.”

Layla gave a rather coquettish giggle and Cody realised that Ted had returned to the table, standing beside him with the plate in one hand looking rather stoic. Layla paid him no heed and Cody started fervently praying that she wouldn’t say anything about what had happened between them two years before.

“I always knew you’d be back Cody,” she said and there was no mistaking the unspoken context – at least Cody didn’t mistake it. He could only hope that Ted’s naivety stopped him from realising it. “Perhaps I can take yer mind offa things? Keep ya company?”

And there was no way Ted could have mistaken the meaning of that. Cody glanced from the corner of his eye at the man and saw those blue eyes wide and shocked. Like he needed another fucking problem, now Ted would be hurt. Ted might know that Cody had been with others in the past but he didn’t need to come face to face with one of them. Especially one so blatant.

“Miss Layla,” said Cody firmly, pushing his chair back from the table. “Much as I ‘preciated both company and distraction durin’ my last visit, I ain’t lookin’ ta revisit it. Excuse me, and have a good day.”

Layla looked rather shocked at being so brutally turned down. “Cody – what is this, some kinda – game ta you? Where ya ride inta town and take some ladies virtue as a goin’ away gift? You do that every place?”

Oh shit and just when he thought things couldn’t get much worse. The suggestion he had taken her virginity then ditched her was clear and given that he had just taken Ted’s – well, could the blonde think the same of him, given what Layla had just said?

Even the thought of losing Ted’s good opinion angered him, although he knew he had done nothing to deserve it in the first place, his mind going fleetingly back to the dream he’d had before he pushed it forcefully away. “Miss Layla, I couldn’t have taken from ya what ya never had ta begin with. I gotta go.”

He met Ted’s eyes and silently asked the man not to ask any questions, just to let them get out. Fortunately Ted seemed more than willing to leave Layla far behind and followed Cody from the building, the plate still clutched in his hands. Without discussing it, the two men fell into step and headed toward the doctors office.

It was Cody who broke the silence. “What that woman said back there – it weren’t like she said it was.”

Ted chewed on his lip a moment. “You were awful rude ta her.”

“Some people, ya gotta be blunt with.” Cody sighed a little. He supposed Ted had not seen him at his best back there. “The way she said things, it didn’t happen like that.”

“We should probably talk about it later.” Ted’s voice was rather clipped and Cody didn’t think that was a good sign. “This isn’t the time or the place.”

He was right, but that didn’t mean Cody didn’t want to explain it. “Ted, you ain’t puttin’ no stock in what she said are ya? ‘Cause it weren’t like that.”

“You said.” Ted glanced at Cody and made a poor attempt at a smile. “I don’t think it’s our main concern though right now.”

Cody nodded and pressed his lips together, feeling a sudden bolt of venom for Layla. It was the virtue comment that did it; if Ted thought that what they’d done together was just some whim of Cody’s and not special, not the most incredible experience of Cody’s life and a gift he’d always treasure, if she’d turned it into something shameful and tawdry in his mind, then he’d never forgive her. Never. It wasn’t like him to wish harm on a lady, but he was doing so right then.

Jim Ross was in the office when they got there, when they explained their presence he smiled. “That’s thoughtful boys, you go right on in there. I’m sure the young man will be more than ready for somethin’ ta eat.”

Cody wasn’t so convinced but they went in, immediately seeing Evan sitting by Chris’ side. The mayor still hadn’t moved and Cody tried not to grimace. He knew just how much Chris meant to his friend. Evan looked bone-weary and Cody crossed the room, forgetting all about his own troubles as he pulled Evan into a hug.

“How ya doin’ Ev?”

“I’m bearin’ up,” replied Evan. “Chris ain’t changed. Still outta it.”

“He’ll be awake and chasin’ whoever did this before the evenin’,” replied Cody with more confidence than he felt.

“How’s Randy?”

Cody hesitated. “We ain’t been able to see him. He’s still in the jail—“ He saw the look on Evan’s face and hurried on. “But Ted here, he hired him a lawyer, seems pretty damned determined to get Randy out. And we ain’t seen John yet but I don’t think he’s lettin’ this go neither. We ain’t gonna let that crooked fucker Michaels get away with this—“

Evan cleared his throat and caught Cody’s eyes, looking deliberately aside. Cody followed the look and almost cursed as he saw Wade in the corner. He had been so caught up in Evan and Chris that he hadn’t realised the man was there and it wasn’t as if he was small and unobtrusive either. “Oh, hi Wade.”

“Hi boys,” replied Wade, not seeming put out at the description of the sheriff.

“I’m sorry Wade.” Ted looked rather contrite. “We didn’t realise you’d be here or we’d have brought you somethin’ to eat as well.”

“I ain’t about to starve Mr Smith, but thank you.” Wade glanced at Evan. “You’d better eat up, if you wanna be holdin’ out for the rest of the day.”

“I can go back and get you somethin’ if you’re stayin’ here,” offered Ted.

There was a quiet and rather awkward knock at the door and then another man entered, looking rather overwhelmed to see so many people in the small room. Wade gave a wide smile at seeing him, then tempered it slightly, cautioning himself. “Looks like there’s no need. Thanks Justin.”

Justin gave a pleased smile. “I left the girls behind the bar for a five minutes. I hope this is alright.”

“That’s just fine, they’ll be okay.” Wade kept his eyes on Justin. “I know you’re not supposed to be workin’ right now...”

“I’ll stay and watch things,” Justin replied, sounding slightly surprised that Wade would expect anything less.

“That’s real good of you, thanks.” Wade ran a hand through his hair and accepted the tray that Justin had brought for him. “How’s things at the saloon?”

“No one new has checked in,” Justin told him – Wade had been rather hoping that someone fitting the description of Chris’ attacker had decided to spend the night, but no such luck it seemed. “There are many people there, all talking of what’s happened. And a man came in with this.” He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Wade, who put his tray on the floor a moment and read the words printed there, his eyes narrowing.

“Wade?” Cody’s voice sharpened. “What is it?”

“There’s an emergency town meetin’ tonight,” Wade replied, not sounding at all happy. “About what’s happened today.”

“That sheriff don’t let the grass grow beneath his feet, do he?” said Evan with a hint of bitterness.

“That he don’t.” Wade passed the paper on to Cody. “I imagine folk’ll be decidin’ who’s runnin’ Bone Orchard while the mayor’s layin’ here. And I imagine Shawn’s workin’ fast so’s there’s no time for anyone to come up with somethin’ he might not like to see.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Goin's Gettin' Tougher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finds himself struggling with some new (and not so new) emotions, and Randy's warning via Cody to John concerning Sheriff Michaels comes a little too late...

From his position out front of the Zigglers’ home Mike watched as Alex led away the out-of-town sheriff… whom he had addressed by name and not title. Though there was nothing wrong with calling someone by their name it really irked him deep down to see the other so blatantly latching onto this –annoyingly cute-person and then cutting him down so publically before him too. However, there was no mistaking the determination and righteous anger in Cena’s eyes when he had mentioned Randy and the stair incident… the man was no fool; he had sussed out the truth almost immediately and apparently he didn’t like the inevitable conclusion that had drawn him to.

Sighing slightly and figuring that as there was little he could do at this stage until he had a chat with Maria later he may as well go back to the office and kill some time. Shawn wouldn’t be letting him near Randy again that day and truth be told he was a little nervous about finding himself alone with the sheriff after Randy’s warnings. He had always had bad vibes from Shawn but the open hostility he had seen earlier had been something else entirely. Just as he had been about to set foot onto the path to his and Michael Cole’s office he noticed that many of the townsfolk were heading towards the Town Hall. Brow furrowing in puzzlement he looked around for someone who could explain to him just what the hell was going on with everybody.

“Swagger!” he called as he spotted a blonde head further down the mass of bodies. The tall, tanned blonde turned and sent him the unnervingly big smile he possessed before sauntering over. ‘Swagger’ was the nickname of Jim Ross’ estranged nephew, Jack, who happened to run a pretty decent ranch not too far from town, on the opposite end to the James’ farm. Jack stopped before him and Mike internally bristled as the blonde looked down on him so obviously.

“Hey Mikey,” he greeted, ignoring the slight growl that Mike gave at the childish nickname, “What’s got yer temper so wound up pal?” He and Jack had something of a love-hate relationship because although the guy was fun to get hammered with his general manner and everyday ego were far too similar to his own for Mike to be able to stand him sober.

“What’s goin’ on here?” Mike indicated the steady stream of people.

A blonde brow quirked at him as Jack lisped, “Sheriff’s called a big town meetin’ over wha’ happened to Jericho, says he wants everybody there.” The speech impediment that he possessed had earned Jack many a night in the cells to cool off once some drunkard latched onto the imperfection and exploited it, the blonde’s volatile temper being well-known. If you gave credit to rumour though it ran in the family because once upon a time their mild-mannered doctor apparently wasn’t as mild as he would have everyone think, or so cheery local gun-merchant Jerry Lawler claimed.

“A town meeting?” Mike’s brow furrowed and his senses told him that this was something that he didn’t want to miss out on if he knew what was good for him.

“You comin’ or what?” Jack jerked his head, eyes glimmering when he saw the emotions flickering in Mike’s eyes. Walking alongside Jack, Mike lost himself in his thoughts as he considered the potential turn of events this meeting could inspire; he had that same bad feeling that he had had earlier, and he didn’t like it. Jack was still grinning to himself like he always did as they went, no words being exchanged between them.

There was a crowd moving through the Town Hall doors and they found themselves moving into the masses. Further down the queue Mike suddenly caught sight of a familiar dark head-- Alex. A tight sensation coiled in his stomach and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself down; it was for the best to keep his distance.

So what if Alex liked this new guy? It wasn’t as though he’d go for it. At least… Mike didn’t think he would. He and Alex… their history was complicated, to put it simply, and there wasn’t much he could do about it. So lost in his thoughts was he that he hadn’t realised that the crowd was moving until Jack’s hand spanned over his lower-back and gave a firm nudge. Stumbling a few steps the flushed brunette hastened to right himself, levelling Jack with a glare as the blonde held his hands up innocently, “Was just stoppin’ ya from gettin’ trampled, Mikey; ol’ Cole’ll have my head if somethin’ happens to ya.” Though it didn’t always seem so Michael Cole had the biggest of soft spots for him.

“Shut up Jack,” Mike muttered before turning and heading into the doorway and making his way towards a seat to the side and near the front; he needed to be able to hear everything and when it came to crowds he always felt much better when he was sitting to one side and near an exit; everyone knew how dangerous big meetings could get if you didn’t watch it.

Jack sat beside him, much to Mike’s consternation, a hand resting atop the back of his chair. Under other circumstances it would probably have looked as odd as he was sure it did, but because Jack was just so damn tall and muscular it was an excuse he had that he needed room. Mike suddenly sensed eyes on him and subtly turned his head around to take in his surroundings and try and take stock of who was gawking at him, if anyone was...

When his eyes met with Alex’s, Mike felt his cheeks warm. Alex’s eyes were cool and hard, but when they landed on Jack there was a flicker in his expression that made Mike uneasy… until he realised what the other was looking at. Oh, hell no. The young lawyer wanted to slide down in his chair and disappear.

Alex turned his back on them both after levelling Jack with a venomous glare, the blonde’s smile turning into a smirk instead; Riley had never liked him and he would be lying if he said that he had ever been particularly fond of him in turn. He didn’t know why the other had such animosity to him but he’d be lying if he said he had too much of a reason either aside from the fact the Riley thought he was something special because he was deputy to the sheriff, and he seemed to look down on everyone else. The blonde leant in towards Mike just as Alex turned away, about to say something, but suddenly the low murmuring buzz that had filled the hall died out in one swift movement when Shawn suddenly walked into the room and onto the stage.

~:~

Randy paced around in his cell, feeling like caged animal as he moved back and forth, feet wearing a hole down in the stone ground. Shawn had left not ten minutes before, looking nervous and giddy in the same measure and the outlaw didn’t like that expression at all. His mind was working overtime to try and understand what the hell he could do to save himself… selfish, but he was a creature of self-preservation and he had more than a vested interest in his own life to want to keep living. Stopping and leaning against the wall he punched it hard with a closed fist, his jaw moving tentatively as he took deep breaths. There was a reason he liked roaming around in open spaces and being outdoors as opposed to in… and that was being evidenced right there as Randy was all but chomping at the bit from being stuck in the enclosed space. When he got out of here he would commit an offence like that which he was accused over. On Shawn.

Suddenly, the door to the sheriff’s office opened and someone came in. Randy froze in place in his cell, eyes narrowing. Though there was no chance someone could get to him in the cell that thought didn’t comfort him much since Shawn had supposedly locked the jail door after him and so this person must have had a key to get in. Randy was no wimp by any stretch of the imagination but he was currently unarmed and the cuffs meant that he was incapacitated even further. He didn’t know why he was so sure someone might be there to take him out but given the way everything seemed to be working to get him strung up he figured he deserved some doubt and unease.

Eyes widening, Randy’s tense posture immediately dropped when he realised who was standing before him. “Cody? The hell ya doin’ here?” If Shawn found him there then something was going to go down big time and he wasn’t exactly in a position to protect his boys should someone attempt to hurt them.

Cody tipped his hat back and rolled his eyes, “Nice-a ya t’be happy t’see me,” he moved to the cell, hand curling around a bar. “This sucks Rand, t’hell ya doin’ in there?” he quipped weakly.

Randy managed a wan smirk. “If I coulda put ya in here instead then I woulda,” he teased and the other tried to reach through the bars to swat him.

Shut it,” Cody chided before reaching into his pocket and then pulling out another wrapper of food that he had managed to collect before coming over. Ted was at the meeting, along with Wade and Evan (who had been so reluctant to part from Chris) but he’d been chosen to check in on Randy. Not that he minded, and he knew that Evan would be coming to see him soon anyway. “Here,” he pushed the parcel through the bars carefully and then managed to squeeze his hip-flask through as well. “You look like ya could do with alla this.”

Randy sighed and nodded, cuffed hands managing to get the two packages before he then moved back to the god-awful wooden bench that was to be his bed for the foreseeable future, “Thanks Codes. I sincerely doubt the sheriff’s gonna be too concerned about keepin’ me fed an’ dehydrated,” he said dryly.

Shaking his dark head Cody swallowed and started, “I dunno if yeh’ve seen him yet, but Ted an’ I—“

Randy smiled that little crooked smile that people rarely got to see, “The lawyer? Yep, I seen ‘im. Seems alright but a little wet behind the ears when it comes t’watchin’ ‘is back.”

Nodding his head Cody then sighed and admitted, “I’ll admit, a lawyer never crossed my mind; I was jus’ considerin’ spingin’ ya from the joint so we could get the hell outta dodge… but Evan’d never go fer it.” If he had been intending to stay before then there was very little chance he was going to be leaving now that Chris was injured. Evan would spring their friend out undoubtedly but then he would remain behind and face the music alone; their loyalty was something that foiled them all at the end of the day he supposed to some degree.

“How…How is the Puppy?”

Sighing, Cody shook his head, “We managed to get him to eat something earlier but he’s lookin’ real down as ya can imagine…” Randy’s face hardened and Cody sensed where the other’s thoughts were going, “Rand, Ev doesn’ think that ya attacked Chris. He doesn’ think ya did it ‘n’ so ya can stop worryin’ on that score.” Even though Randy wouldn’t like to admit it Cody had nailed his thoughts and fears in one and he couldn’t deny he felt better about the situation with the reassurance that Evan didn’t think he’d actually done it. If only it was as easy to have everyone else’s backing.

“Ya can’ stay long can ya?” Randy murmured through mouthfuls of sausage and bread, drinking thirstily from the flask of water; hunger and thirst had been far from his mind but now he was confronted with the prospect of it he was suddenly ravenous.

“Nah,” Cody said regretfully, “The meetin’ won’ be lastin’ too long so I gotta keep an eye out.” Tilting his head to one side Cody quirked a small smirk, “I’ve heard-tell that your sheriff’s gunnin’ t’get ya free.”

For a moment Randy was confused before his eyes widened a fraction, “John?” 

A fear that Cody hadn’t been expecting appeared in Randy’s eyes and Cody tensed somewhat in reflex, “Randy, what is it?”

Randy shook his head hard, “Man, I don’ like this. Stuck in here I can’ do anythin’ an’ I sure as hell don’ trust Shawn.”

Well that was a given, but that didn’t explain why Randy had looked so panicked at the mention of John. “John, Cody, ya gotta warn him—“Randy stood up, moving to his long-time friend as he stood against the bars that separated them, “Shawn… he knows about me ‘n’ John.”

Cody gasped, understanding flooding him and Randy’s jaw tightened as a small growl emitted from his throat and he nodded. “I don’ know how he found out but he’s gunni’ fer ‘im. He wants John under ‘is thumb ‘n’ I doubt that scruples’ll become involved jus’ ‘cause it’s John.”

Cody nodded, “I’ll tell ‘im when I get chance t’see ‘im…” which should be pretty soon considering that the man would be meeting up with Ted again before long and all. “I promise. An’ don’ you worry about anythin’; we’re gonna get ya outta here an’ we’re gonna get the guy who really did this an’ he’ll pay for it… him an’ anyone else who helped him.”

The fire burning in Cody’s eyes had Randy trusting that they would do everything they could to help him… and he really was pretty damned lucky to have such loyal friends. “I know ya will Codes—“

Before anything more could be said a sudden hum of many people speaking began nearby and Cody swore, “I gotta go! I’ll come back soon, Ok? Or Evan will,” he assured, ducking out of the jailhouse with a last look at Randy.

~:~

Currently standing behind the curtains that adorned both sides of the stage, Shawn took a breath as he looked out over the mass crowd of townsfolk; their talk was such a loud hum that his head was beginning to ache with the continuity of it. Turning his head somewhat when he registered footsteps behind him Shawn felt his stomach bottom-out when he realised Hunter was walking towards him—and the man had a grin that was so big the force of it could have lit up the whole damn town. Oh heck, if someone saw them together there would be even more talk between the people about his dealings with the man that they all seemed to hate. Knowing showing his reservations would mean he was sticking his own neck out the blonde managed to give what he hoped was a genuine looking smile.

“Sheriff,” Hunter greeted and Shawn resisted the urge to bristle; something about the way Hunter called him by his title made him feel as though the man was laughing at him.

“Mr Helmsley,” he responded casually, subtly wiping his palms on his legs as he checked around for whether Dave Batista was going to make an appearance out of the shadows.

“I heard about the Mayor,” Hunter clucked his tongue, “Nasty business indeed, poor Chris; stuck down just as he was readying for lunch.”

Shawn nodded his head slowly, “Yeah… Didn’ look good fer ‘im I’ll say that much.”

Hunter clucked his tongue, hands resting on his hips as he took in the crowd just visible through the curtains, “Shame. Ready fer ya big speech, Sheriff?”

Shawn felt Hunter’s large hand resting atop his shoulder and in that moment knew he was stuck. He had pledged himself to this endeavour, though not quite expecting it’d happen this way, and now he was stuck with it. Smile becoming a little more fixed (Shawn was used to public speaking after all, being damn good at it was what secured him his position as sheriff in the first place) Shawn then nodded his head and said, “If yeh’ll excuse me?” though he didn’t like deferring to the man he knew that he had to keep himself on Hunter’s good side otherwise he could end up in big trouble.

“Of course,” Hunter acquiesced with a nod of his head, stepping back into the shadows.

Uneasy about turning his back on the man even though he couldn’t sense him there anymore Shawn then took a breath and stepped out onto the podium. The chatter that had been deafening him so much previously seemed to stop as though someone had thrown a switch when he came into view. Looking out to the crowd at large Shawn cleared his throat and then his expression hardened-- the timbre of his voice obviously to incite the people to his will. “Today our dear Mayor fell victim to a monstrous assault.”

There was a low rumbling of ascent from the gathered people, Shawn beginning to warm to his speech as he spoke of what had happened to Chris, how horrible it was, and that they had someone in custody to be charged with the crime. Unbeknownst to him though, five, potentially six men, didn’t believe what he was saying. Ted’s expression was stony, as was Wade’s. Evan was still looking terrifyingly unresponsive, though both men kept an eye on him to make sure that he wasn’t about to launch himself at the man on the stage. On the other side of the room to them sat Mike and John and Riley, John’s usually smiling face angry and Mike’s brow furrowed. Alex was tapping his foot on the ground without sound, an unmistakable gesture of unease.

Even though before he had always trusted his mentor implicitly now he was second-guessing everything. And, well, Maria was so sure that the fellow who attacked Chris was bigger than any other guy they had in town, even more so than Wade from the sound of it—and he was a big guy even if he didn’t initially look it. He was aware of Mike’s eyes on the back of his head even through his worry and resisted the urge to turn around and pull a face at him; he had seen the way Jack was being so blatantly handsy with Mike before and he had not been amused even slightly. Were they trying to attract the wrong attention?

And, the last he had heard, Jack was engaged to a young lady and hadn’t any interest in men. But, then, he had thought Mike didn’t have any interest in men either, or himself… showed how much he knew. Shaking his head slightly Alex forced himself to focus on what was going on with Shawn’s speech. The man was really getting into what he was saying… which was bad.

If everyone believed what Shawn was saying then no one was going to believe the truth when they happened to find out what it was, of course. At his side Alex suddenly took note of the way John’s hands were clenched into fists atop his lap; the force he was using meaning the appendages were shaking. And yet, despite this outward display the other seemed perfectly composed with regards to his unmoving facial features.

Nudging the man in the side to alert him to the fact that he was being somewhat demonstrational Alex pretended not to notice the way that he jerked, hand moving instinctively to where he was sure his gun was hidden before he recovered himself. The sequence of movements had been so quick that Alex would have been sure he’d’ve missed it had he been sitting at his side. John caught his eyes and nodded slightly before they both turned their attention to the front; basically, Shawn had said he was taking over until the situation with Chris was more concrete, and he had yet to assign himself a replacement in the sheriff’s office.

“But rest assured I have a very good idea in mind for a replacement,” Shawn said with his first real smile since the announcements had begun. It was apparent that many people seemed keen on having Shawn keeping the peace in office until things calmed down, but a small group in the audience had a strong sense of foreboding. Shawn dismissed the crowd and then headed backstage and out of sight, John waiting until the majority of the crowd had left before he motioned the man who was currently aiding him to follow him.

“Sheriff Cena!” a voice called to him as he got outside and John almost faltered in his steps; what the hell did Shawn want with him now? Turning his head slowly John forced himself into an amicable smile and prayed that Alex wouldn’t blow everything they had been working on before they had actually gotten any answers.

“Riley?” Shawn seemed surprised for a moment before he recovered, “I see you’ve met Sheriff Cena?” he said and Alex nodded, keeping surprisingly quiet given that he seemed to like the sound of his own voice usually.

“John,” Shawn looked at him, still smiling. “I was wonderin’ if I could talk ta ya about somethin’,” he said innocently, seeing the way John’s eyes narrowed just a fraction. Looking to Alex, Shawn then said, “Go an’ take some time Riley; I’ll see ya bright an’ early tomorrow.”

Alex recognised the dismissal for what it was but he found himself hesitating until John’s careful and yet casual sounding words came with a nod, “Thanks fer showin’ me around some more today Riley, yeh’re real good at what you do.”

“I’ll eh, see ya again soon then Sheriff, Sheriff,” he nodded awkwardly to the both of them and then turned before walking away a decent enough distance to not be noticeable. John didn’t seem happy about the prospect of going with Shawn, but Shawn’s manner remained with a large smile and seemingly genial. Eventually they both turned and walked together, Alex guessing that they were heading towards the jailhouse. Alex found himself lingering for reasons unknown, getting a bad feeling about leaving the pair alone.

“What’s wrong with me?” Alex murmured to himself, pressing the heel of his hand into his temple. He had a headache coming on and it felt like it was going to be the mother of all aches.

“Y’alright there?” a voice sounded in his ear and Alex jumped a foot and wheeled around. Mike’s brows were arched as he took in the sight of Alex’s surprise, “Alex, seriously, y’alright?”

Alex flushed somewhat, clearing his throat, “M’fine,” he muttered, straightening himself up somewhat. “I’m fine,” he muttered gruffly, turning his head to the side so that he couldn’t look at Mike. A flicker of anger and hurt appeared on Mike’s face, Alex missing it. “I’m surprised yeh’ve got the time t’waste around here… yeh’ve got a big case now don’cha?”

The deputy replaced his hat and turned away from Mike, getting merely a handful of steps though before a quiet voice spoke, “So yeh’re not even gonna talk t’me, is that it?”

The question startled Alex, forcing himself to turn back and meet those blue eyes that had rendered him helpless since the first time he’d seen Mike.

~:~

It took John a few moments to realise where he was being led, and when the realisation struck him he felt as though he was going to be sick. He was going to see Randy, locked up like some animal. He was going to have to pretend that it didn’t affect him to see his lover incarcerated, the proverbial noose hanging over his head. Swallowing as hard as he could and as inaudibly as he could, John turned his head and looked at Shawn. Outwardly the man seemed calm but John noticed that there was a tension in the man that hadn’t been there previously.

The door to the jailhouse was opened by Shawn and John slowly followed him inside. “I know we could use the Mayor’s office now, but I like myself familiar surroundings. Besides, this is the place where we can get the most privacy!” the tone was light but John could sense an undercurrent within it that was most certainly not. A chill ran down John’s spine, especially when Shawn said, “Take a seat, John,” before the door closed and clicked locked behind him. Oh, fuck, what was going on?

Before he could comment about the fact that the other had locked the door he found himself meeting a pair of stormy hues that never failed to make his heart skip a beat as well as his pulse kick up somewhat. Randy, oh heck, he had to get him out of that horrific little room. He wasn’t aware of the way he had frozen in place until Shawn’s voice sounded quietly, the tone indistinguishable—but it wasn’t good. “So… I guess it is true then. Yeh’re an outlaw’s whore, are ya Cena?”

Snapping his head around to look at Shawn the denial was on his lips, but he suddenly found himself with a gun pushed against his temple, an arm locked around his throat. John figured he could overpower Shawn, but with the man’s finger coiled against the trigger he didn’t want to risk it. “Lettim go!” Randy shouted suddenly, chained hands slamming into the bars that held him. “Dammit Michaels, let go!”

There was the click of the bullet-chamber and Shawn’s voice was low, “I don’ think I will. I think you boys are gonna sit tight and listen to me.”

John’s wide blue eyes met Randy’s stormy grey-blues and he willed the other to stay silent. This was a bad situation, the worst, but if they could sit through it then they might just have a chance of doing something about their predicament – and for all he’d found out, there hadn’t been rumours of Shawn being involved in any real wrong-doings, it had all been maddeningly vague and yet very disquieting.

“Take a seat and remember who’s holdin’ the cards here.” Shawn moved the gun slightly and pushed John in the back, the younger man moving slowly to the desk and taking a seat where Randy himself had been during his previous confrontation with the Sheriff. Shawn stayed where he was and John realised uneasily that he could barely see Randy from where he was, something that didn’t make him feel any easier.

“Here’s how things are goin’.” Shawn sounded almost jovial. “I’m mayor ‘round here for the moment and that’s probably gonna be a permanent thing given how Chris don’t seem like he’s gonna come ‘round. Or if he does, probably they’ll have that cleanin’ woman feedin’ him an’ wipin’ the drool from offa his lips. Randy here’s gonna be payin’ for doin’ that—“

“I didn’ touch him an’ you know it,” growled Randy ominously.

“Well, we got eye witnesses ta put you right there,” replied Shawn. “And I don’ think anyone in town’d dispute it. Nor do I think anyone’d shed a tear if you go shot ‘tryin’ ta escape’, ‘cept maybe the new sheriff in town here.”

It took John a moment to process the last words, since his mind was completely shocked by the implication of Randy being shot and when he did, he half-rose ready to protest, sinking back into the seat when Shawn levelled the gun at him. He was certain that Shawn was a good shot. “Ain’t gonna fly Michaels,” he said, eyeing the weapon and wishing for a distraction. Maybe he wouldn’t get away with putting a bullet of his own between Shawn’s eyes, but damn, he wouldn’t hesitate to do it anyway. “No one’s gonna accept that I just walk into town and a few days later I’m the sheriff.”

“Chris wouldn’t,” replied Shawn with a smirk. “But he ain’t here. And in case ya didn’t notice, I’m in charge right now and if I say I know yer worth trustin’ then not many folk’ll argue.”

“And if I say no? Ain’t nothin’ keepin’ me here.”

“Except fer him.” Shawn jerked his head in Randy’s general direction. “You walk and he ain’t got a snowball in hell’s chance of seein’ another sunrise. And that’d be a shame, seein’ as I know how close you two are.” He chuckled lasciviously. “Y’make some real pretty sounds when yer bein’ fucked Cena, but maybe ya can do better when there’s a real man in yer ass.”

John blanched; although he knew exactly the encounter Shawn was talking about it hadn’t felt at all sordid until Shawn had known. Dirty certainly, daring and angry, but not sordid and John hated feeling that anything he and Randy had done together might be so... he barely caught the extra meaning in Shawn’s words. But Randy did and growled, suddenly wondering if he might be able to lure Shawn within arms reach. The cuffs might be a problem but if he was fast enough, he could grab Shawn’s head and bounce it off the bars, knocking him out. John could take the keys and let him out, putting Shawn in the cell instead. Then they could grab Cody and Evan and head off – probably they’d have to take Ted as well, but that was do-able. But Evan would never go, would urge them off without him and leave him in danger. And Chris was potentially still in the firing line as well. So, they could take Chris – but in his comatose state, then he’d be a real hindrance. And it would leave Shawn free to do whatever was in his mind to do. Randy had always considered that he was only out for himself and his boys, but he was starting to realise he didn’t want others to suffer in his place. The realisation was not a comforting one for a man in his position.

Shawn turned to Randy at the sound of the growl. “Feelin’ possessive?” he asked. “Y’should be thinkin’ ‘bout keepin’ possession of yer life and nothin’ else. That’s the deal Johnny-boy, you’re my new right-hand man and it ain’t up fer discussion. You’ll be arrestin’ folk if y’need to but y’know? Think I might be keepin’ the keys to the jailhouse in my own possession. There’s such a thing as bein’ too trustin’.”

John shook his head wearily. “What the hell d’ya need me for?”

Shawn shrugged. “Appearances. Yer first duty in the mornin’ is gonna be ta head over ta the James farm and let that lady know unless she produces a husband we ain’ t been told about, then she ain’t stayin’ on that land.”

“She don’t have ta produce a husband,” replied Randy, remembering what Evan had told them. “The land belongs ta Chris and he can let whoever he wants ta stay there.”

Shawn narrowed his eyes, no doubt wondering just how they knew that. “Don’t matter. Chris ain’t around and I want her gone. Get it done Cena. Then maybe things’ll go well at trial and yer boy can spend his life in a cage instead o’ hangin’.”

“Why the hell’re you so all-fired up ta get hold of it?” Randy asked.

“It’s worth more money than a bunch o’grazin’ cows and a couple pounds o’ butter.” Shawn sounded dismissive, jerking his head at John. “You go get a good nights sleep and be here first thing in the mornin’ all ready ta do as yer told. Think I’ll stick around here, make sure there ain’t gonna be no jailbreaks. I got a man waitin’ ta take over from me, so don’t think yer gonna be left all on yer own Randy. Not that I think yer goin’ anywhere.” He gave a vicious laugh. “If y’do, then you’ll be leavin’ John here ta take the fall – and I think folks around here’ll wonder if y’had help breakin’ out. From yer boys maybe, or from some lover.” He looked meaningfully at John. “I won’t hesitate t’tell everyone what I seen if ya decide ta do a flit. Go on John. Git out. ‘Less yer waitin’ fer me ta come kiss ya g’bye?”

The growl Randy gave this time was low and venomous, but John didn’t have the time to tell his lover to relax, calm down, that he would be able to deal with everything – and had he said that, Randy might have seen through the lie. Instead he shot Randy a look that he hoped said all that and more, wishing that he could go over to the bars and kiss Randy through them – but with Shawn’s eyes on him, there wasn’t a thing he could do.

“I’ll see ya soon Randy,” he said aloud. “And I’ll see you goin’ down Michaels and laugh my ass off.”

“Wouldnt be holdin’ mah breath fer that,” replied Shawn, eyes carefully on John until the man had exited the building before he relaxed his hold on the gun – but didn’t let it go just yet. John might not have left entirely yet.

“I’m gonna kill you Shawn,” said Randy in an almost conversational tone, as if remarking upon the weather. Shawn felt a slight chill, the words had the ring of fact in them. “I’m gonna tear off yer dick and shove it right up yer ass.”

“Yeah?” Shawn made sure his own voice was bored. “Think I’ll keep my dick, I’m kinda attached to it. And if I get my way, there’s only one ass it’s goin’ up.”

With a snarl, Randy threw himself at the bars, roaring threats and curses that Shawn took no notice of, sitting at his desk and making a show of cleaning his nails. Randy couldn’t keep it up for long and there was nowhere for him to go; when he quieted Shawn looked up to see that Randy’s eyes were still fixed firmly upon him and there was murder in the gaze. It would make no difference. Randy was trapped and Shawn wasn’t stupid enough to allow it to be any other way. He tried not to show how much the glare disconcerted him as he waited. He hadn’t lied to John exactly, but there would be no deputy to take over until midnight and before that, there was someone else coming to pay a visit, who would no doubt be pleased with the way things were going.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five: A Bad Day Gets A Bit Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Mike have a deeper tension between them than just Sheriff's (now Mayor's) man and acting for the accused, and a too much may have been left unsaid between them. Shawn and Hunter seem contented that their plans are working perfectly and Randy gets a surprise visitor in jail.

Alex didn’t quite know what to say and the thudding in his head wasn’t helping anything. He spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “It ain’t that – I’ve got a headache an’ I just wanna get home.” Mike regarded him through cool blue eyes and Alex resisted the urge to close his eyes against the sight and sigh. What was it about Mike that made him want to over-explain his every move? And he must have imagined that look he thought he’d seen before. Mike never seemed to notice anyone’s opinion of him, the negative even less than the positive. And there were a lot of negative comments about Mike.

It didn’t help that Mike was right. Alex really didn’t want to talk to him again. But when Mike was actually there, it wasn’t easy to allow himself that luxury. Hell, he’d given some kind of fake reason rather than potentially hurt Mike’s feelings by agreeing and leaving... which reminded him of why he’d been there at all. He took a glance in the direction Shawn and John had gone in, but they were already out of sight and he didn’t exactly have a good reason to go chasing after them. What was he going to say, that he’d got a bad feeling after digging around with Cena, that he thought Shawn had deliberately overlooked any other possible suspect behind Chris’ attack?

“I saw you talkin’ to the sheriff,” said Mike and although his tone was almost casual, there was something else there that made Alex annoyed. As if Mike was prying for answers, if more clumsily than he usually did.

“I work fer Shawn,” he shot back. “Why wouldn’t I be talkin’ ta him?”

“Not any more, he’s the mayor now remember.”

The response made another throb go off in Alex’s head and he frowned. “Makes no difference, and it ain’t none o’ your business what the conversation was.”

This time he knew he hadn’t imagined the hurt look on Mike’s face, but it was gone almost as soon as it was there. “You need to watch out around him Alex,” Mike said, his tone something close to gentle. “There’s somethin’ goin’ on in town and I don’t know what it is yet, but I get the feelin’ Michaels knows somethin’ more than he’s about to let on. You just watch yourself.”

Alex shook his head in frustration. “What’s goin’ on around here? First that Cena fella and his suspicions and now you and yer cryptic warnin’s – I think this attack on Chris got everyone jumpin’ at shadows. There ain’t nothin’ sinister goin’ on in Bone Orchard!”

Mike’s brow creased into a slight frown. “This Cena, you and him were diggin’ ‘round about what happened to Chris?”

Alex hesitated, realising he’d said more than he meant to, but he didn’t feel up to any more arguing. He nodded slowly and Mike’s frown grew if anything, more worried. “Can I ask you about it?”

“No,” said Alex firmly.”It’s sheriff department business, not yours.”

“Cena isn’t part of the sheriff’s department in this town,” replied Mike, neither of them having any idea just how wrong he was. “And I’m not askin’ you to tell me what folk said or what the sheriff thinks. Just what you’d have to tell me about the crime and what’d come out during the trial.”

Alex looked unconvinced and Mike took a step forward, coming close to crowding the blonde. “I can’t tell you what Randy said to me, but it was enough to get me worried and now I find out you might be caught up, even on the sidelines. I got some suspicions and if they’re right, then there’s gonna be big trouble around here in the next few days. I’m hopin’ I’m wrong.”

Alex wasn’t entirely sure he believed Mike, about hoping he was wrong at least. Mike thrived on excitement and sniffing out a conspiracy would probably have him in paroxysms of delight. He almost smiled at how serious Mike looked, given that he knew on the inside Mike was probably dancing for joy. It was very convincing.

“And I might have somethin’ that’d help you with your headache in the house,” Mike added.

“House?” Alex knew he probably sounded borderline simple but with the stress and confusion he was feeling at that moment, his mind wasn’t working the way it should do. “Your house?”

“Well, I didn’t think you’d wanna have this conversation in the saloon or in the street.”

Alex didn’t think he’d agreed to be having a conversation with Mike but his thoughts were mostly consumed with the last time he’d been at Mike’s house. They’d started in the saloon that night too, separately. Alex had been celebrating his new position with the sheriff’s department, something he’d wanted since he was a kid and was finally old enough to pursue. A few friends had been out with him but all of them had more conventional jobs whereas Alex didn’t even begin for a few days, they had to be home to get enough sleep to be up at daybreak. Alex had been up at the bar buying a few drinks from a somewhat amused looking Wade Barrett when he’d heard Mike beside him, asking what the occasion was. He’d taken one look into those calm blue eyes and been completely lost – although at the time, he’d told himself it was the booze talking. It had to be, given that those eyes were looking out at him from a man’s face.

Alex’s friends had left but he had remained. He’d ended up talking to Mike, sharing stories and jokes, both of them drinking more than they had intended to. Alex had found Mike to be rather fascinating, someone he had barely interacted with before given the few years between them and the differences in education. And strangely, Mike had seemed just as interested in him. When Wade had told them it was throwing-out time, they had both been surprised and Alex remembered feeling disappointed that it was over and he was unlikely to have reason to spend such a night with Mike again.

They had left the saloon together, living in more or less the same direction and walking side by side, quiet conversation and muffled laughter between them. Mike’s place was closer than Alex’s and by this time they had been walking shoulder to shoulder, their hands occasionally brushing and Alex trying to deny that what went though him every time that happened was anything more than whisky talking. At the door, Mike had rested a hand on Alex’s arm and even now, Alex had been convinced that he had been saying goodbye, that this was his house. The words had been there but Alex had been slightly more occupied with how Mike’s mouth looked when he was speaking. And then seemingly with no pause, those lips were on his and he wasn’t protesting even slightly, a hand threaded through Mike’s hair and kissing him back with a passion that shocked even himself.

He wasn’t sure if it had been a need for solitude or consideration of what the neighbours might see (very little by then, it was almost completely pitch-black with lights in every window extinguished) but they had ended up inside the house, unable to leave one another alone as they made their way up the stairs of the small house to the sole bedroom where they had collapsed onto Mike’s bed. He’d made an exploration of Mike’s body with hands and lips and tongue that had felt wonderful, thrilling him down to his very core. And the reciprocation Mike had given him still made him blush and his cock twitch, even as he tried to push the thoughts away.

He’d crept out as the sun was starting to lighten the room, Mike finally asleep and tangled in the covers, a slight smile on his handsome face. He’d dressed in a full reversal of the way his clothes had been shed the previous night, finding his garments strewn on the stairs and at the door, mixed up in Mike’s in a way that made him feel some tightening in his chest. He never did find his underwear. And then he’d slunk from the house, feeling like a whore leaving some trick if not with the money in his pocket to prove it. And for the most part, he tried to pretend that none of it had happened. It might make him a coward, it might make him in some form of denial, but how the hell was he supposed to come to terms with having acted as he had? It might have been easier had he been able to blame the drink, but that the sight of Mike still made him yearn to have the other with him again suggested that it was some flaw in himself that had caused his behaviour. But he was never going to succumb to it again.

Only now he felt tired and confused and Mike was looking at him patiently, with concern. It was a small town and it wasn’t like he’d not seen the man since, but he always forgot just how defenceless he felt in the wake of his own feelings for the other.

He took refuge in hostility. “What, Swagger ain’t goin’ back with ya?”

“Swagger?” Mike looked blank a moment and then frowned, seeming more tired than angry by the comment. “Nah. We was just talkin’ Alex. And all this – I’m concerned Alex, I really am.” Mike sounded it too. “I’ll take up a few minutes of your time and then maybe we’ll both understand what’s happenin’ better.

It took Alex a few moments to realise that Mike was talking about what was happening in town rather than what had happened between them and when he did, he felt embarrassed. “We’ll hafta be quick Mike,” he said tiredly. “I gotta be at work in the mornin’ and I feel like a whole herd stampeded over mah head.”

Mike’s lips quirked slightly. “I have to be up early too, I don’t think the business I’ve got will wait for long. But uh, let’s make sure that as few people as possible see us.”

Alex’s mind went again to that one fateful night they’d shared. “Why?”

“Given I’m actin’ for Randy and he isn’t popular with the sheriff right now, I don’t think I’m gonna be too popular either.” Mike sighed slightly and Alex noticed that he still seemed concerned. Doubt started to creep in. Was it really just a front or was Mike honestly worried about something that was happening? “I don’t wanna cause you no grief.” He considered. “No more grief.”

Alex felt a stab of guilt at that comment and willed it away. He had always assumed that Mike had felt the same as he did, relieved they hadn’t been caught out and determined to put it behind him as soon as possible. Only now, he wondered. It wasn’t as if anything could be allowed to happen between them again but unless he was mistaken, Mike wasn’t too pleased about that fact at all.

~:~

Evan went straight back to the doctors office and filled Jim in on what had been said at the meeting. He supposed some of his scorn showed through when he repeated what had been said, but Jim didn’t comment on it, merely frowned. He would be asleep upstairs he told Evan once the other had given his report, should something change... Evan nodded, but he was dispirited. Chris had stayed the same and Evan didn’t think that was good at all. He’d taken countless knocks on the head and he’d never been out for more than a few minutes. And in the time Chris had been out, someone else had taken his place and would probably start tearing things down.

When Evan took his seat by Chris’ bed he was alone this time – Wade had gone back to his bar, explaining rather awkwardly that he had no right to expect Justin to watch things any longer, he had already gone above and beyond what he could have expected. Evan had promised to keep Wade updated. Much as he appreciated the Englishman’s company, he was glad that he and Chris were finally alone.

“Hi Chris,” he murmured softly, brushing his thumb against the man’s cheek. Chris didn’t stir. “I guess you would’ve been pissed tonight. Michaels said he’s takin’ over your job and I know you don’t trust him.” He chuckled. “Wonder if ya ever did or if ya changed yer mind or he changed...”

He fell quiet a moment, wondering how things had gone from so good that morning to so bleak that night. “I’m gonna go see Randy pretty soon. Cody’s good, but he ain’t so good when it comes ta sneakin’ ‘round and gettin’ where he ain’t supposed ta be. So he went with some food while the meetin’ was on and I’m gonna go in there in the night. Don’t know if I’ll be able ta cheer him up, but Mr Smith got him a lawyer and I’m hopin’ that’ll get him freed. Randy don’t do well in captivity.” He tried to chuckle, but there was no joy in it.

“Acourse, if ya’d wake up and tell everyone who really did this t’ya, there’d be no more problem.” He searched Chris’ face for any sign of change, but there was nothing. “Y’lazy old man. I’m gonna have somethin’ ta say ‘bout this shit when yer do rejoin us. Yer’d better have somethin’ real good in mind ta make it up ta me.”

Still nothing. With a sigh that came out almost as a sob, Evan leaned in to kiss Chris’ unresponsive lips and then lay his head on the man’s chest. “I love you,” he said quietly. “Yer supposed ta be up and about, dealin’ with all this. None of us know the first thing ‘bout dealin’ with any of it. We don’t know what we’re s’posed ta be doin’. And yer s’posed ta fix it all and then come back home and we can live in there together – and this time, I’d be there ta protect ya...”

His voice started to trail off, his words occasionally wandering off subject or making no sense at all and a few minutes later he was in a light, uneasy doze, head still on Chris’ chest. It had been a long, upsetting day for him and he knew he wasn’t about to get much rest as he was, but he still wanted to go creeping around the jail house and there was nothing that could keep him from watching Chris – he just needed a few minutes rest. For a long while there were no sounds but their combined breathing, no movement except for the rise and fall of their chests and the few seconds when Chris’ eyes opened, blue orbs staring in blank confusion at the ceiling and then flickering down to Evan before closing again.

The next thing Evan was aware of was the door opening. He might have been sleeping but a part of him had never relaxed its guard and he was on his feet before he registered moving, guns whipped out of his holsters and pointed at the intruder.

John raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, then hit the floor for good measure since Evan seemed suddenly completely ruthless – dark eyes cold, face set, stance inarguable. In that moment, he was certain that should anyone try to come back and finish what they’d started on Chris while Evan was there, they’d be in for a big and probably fatal surprise.

“It’s just me Ev,” he said, daring to stand up again when Evan blinked and suddenly seemed more like his normal self.

“How’d ya get in? Door’s locked.”

“That Lawler, he was visitin’ the doc, just leavin’. I saw ‘em while I was passin’, asked if I could stop in. He says if one of us goes, the other needs ta lock up behind ‘em.” He didn’t say why, but Evan would know. “How’s he doin’?”

Evan looked at Chris and sighed. “No change. Dammit!”

“He’ll be fine Ev.” But John didn’t sound his usual self and Evan looked up, noting how tense the older man seemed.

“John? Is somethin’ wrong?”

John gave a humourless laugh, sitting in the remaining chair. “Everythin’s wrong. Everythin’. Randy bein’ locked up, Chris bein’ in here, me bein’... it’s all wrong. An’ I really don’t know what ta do about it.”

It took a few moments for Evan to truly catch up to the hesitation in John’s previous words, to notice the way the other didn’t finish the sentence. Looking at the dejected and two-steps-away-from-distraught sheriff he exhaled a breath and asked quietly, “Something happened, didn’t it?”

Oh, that was such an understatement. A hollow and humourless laugh left John as he scrubbed a large hand over his face; by all standards he was getting close to the equivalent of a male version of an old maid, but right then he actually felt old. He felt as though he had aged years merely over the past few hours. It was not a pleasant experience that much was the truth.

“Talk t’me,” Evan said quietly, hoping that now more than ever whatever reservations he and Cody might have had about the sheriff and vice versa could be put aside; there was no doubt John was in pain right now and Evan swore that those two felt deeper than some baseless animal attraction even if they themselves wouldn’t acknowledge it. “It’ll help make ya feel better,” and he could do with a distraction really.

John doubted that anything could make him feel better right then aside from Randy being released and these bogus charges being dropped—and of course Chris waking up and being fine to take control again as well as Cody and Ted somehow getting to be together for the long-term.

“Yeh betta keep ya voice down,” John warned quietly, “Because ya ain’t gonna like what I have t’tell ya.”

Before John could think of continuing with his recount of what had transpired in the sheriff’s office (someone with another prospective would really help there) the door to the room started to open again. This time John and Evan both reached for their guns… before Ted and Cody stepped into the almost-pitch-dark room. When they saw the guns trained on them they held their hands up in surrender, Cody giving a wanly amused and tired chuckle as he said, “Ok, I ate the last candy in the bag, but I didn’ think you’d be that mad!”

Lowering his guns as John did the same Evan shook his head slightly, “Idiot.”

Cody pouted as he and Ted closed the door behind them and moved to take two available seats near John and Evan. “Hey, I was getting worried about you, where’ve you been?” Ted asked; they hadn’t seen John since that morning after all, and with everything that had happened…

“M’fine,” John said quietly, giving Ted a small smile of thanks for the concern, “I jus’ had t’do somethin’ though, I couldn’ sit there idle. I know you guys han’t been sittin’ idle either,” he hastened to add when he realised how that might have sounded, “But in this instance my rank really helped me out.”

They all nodded in understanding before Evan then cut back to his and John’s previous conversation. The momentary lightness that had covered John’s face seemed to dissipate in an instance, especially when Cody asked swiftly, “Is Randy alright?”

“Fer now,” John said quietly. Repeating his earlier warning to Ted and Cody (they didn’t want to get kicked out of there after all, and Dr Ross didn’t exactly know they were all there) he then took a breath and told them all about the incident in Shawn’s office; the comments about Chris not being capable, his snide comments about everyone falling into line as he said… and even all the innuendos on top of the threats to Randy’s life if he didn’t do what was asked of him when it was asked of him. Stunned silence greeted his announcement which he supposed was better than the outrage they would probably display when it wore off. “But John,” Ted protested weakly, “You can’t be considering it?” he asked, nauseated by the implication of what Shawn could get from him.

Looking for all the world like Randy must be feeling (a man trapped in a corner with no appealing choice of action in sight to get out of it) John looked down at his large hands before looking up again. “If it’ll buy Randy more time then I guess I don’ have much of a choice, do I?” John wouldn’t put it past Shawn to have someone in there with a gun trained on Randy 24-7 to ensure their compliance. “So far Shawn’s got things goin’ how he wants ‘em t’go. If we could only find out who the guy was… we got some clues but no identification.” A low curse left Cody and Ted reached instinctively to rest his hand atop the others; the conversation with Layla hadn’t been forgotten but they’d both stayed well away, they had other more pressing matters to consider.

“We’ll get ‘im,” Evan said quietly, though everyone there had the distinct real message there was I’ll get him.

“We’ve got a lawyer on the case,” Ted reported to the room at large, unsure whether they would have heard about it yet.

Surprise flittered across Evan’s face; they had some good money left but certainly not enough for the kind of legal aid that Randy needed. “How didja manage t’pay fer that?” he asked Cody and the ravenette blushed before looking to Ted out of the corner of his eye.

Ted blushed darker than him, clearing his throat softly, “I’m paying for it.” He held up a hand, “I know I don’ have to but I want to, Ok?” he really didn’t it was that big of a deal.

~:~

To say it was unnerving overall how long Randy kept glowering at the back of his head would not be an understatement; if he could be killed with a look he doubted he’d be allowed peace even if he was six feet under… Randy’d probably piss on his grave if he ever let him have one. If the outlaw had his way then he didn’t doubt that his body would probably never be found—and why the fuck was he thinking that he’d get to him?

Shaking himself slightly he exhaled a breath and repeated an internal mantra that there was no way Randy was getting out and there was no chance the man could get him. When he had said he’d keep Randy in the cell forever he meant it so long as John complied with his terms. And, whether Chris recovered or not he’d probably be recommended to step down as Mayor, and Shawn would still have his place at the top of the heap.

At some point he must have dozed off because the next thing he knew it was dark outside and there sitting across from him as casual as you please, was Hunter. The man was still dressed impeccably and with expense, but there was a definite celebratory casualness about him… though that could have been the open bottle of whiskey and two shot-glasses that added to that view. The bottle was slightly empty from what Shawn could tell and so Hunter had to have been sat there a while… and wasn’t that an unnerving thought? Flushing to the roots of his thinning hair in the dim lamplight Shawn stuttered out an awkward apology to the other man.

However, instead of looking as annoyed as Shawn had expected Hunter merely smirked easily and poured them both a shot, lifting his own in what was unmistakeably a gesture of a toast. Completely nonplussed for the moment Shawn didn’t understand and then hastened to raise his own glass as a shadow passed over Hunter’s face as quickly as it came. “Congratulations, Mr Mayor,” Hunter broke into laughter as their glasses chinked together and Shawn started to laugh himself before he then downed the alcohol. After everything that had happened that day a drink sounded fantastic to him.

Though Shawn wasn’t aware of it Randy was still wide awake and from the pitch darkness that shrouded the enclosed space he could make out Shawn and his companion despite the light not being too strong on them both. He knew it… he had had an inkling as soon as the farmland thing had been brought into it but he hadn’t known for sure until then. Fuck; it seemed Chris’ bad instincts about this guy were right all along. Being careful to maintain his feigned sleep, keeping his breathing deep and even, Randy strained his ears to try and catch as much of their conversation as possible.

It was lucky for him that neither man was especially quiet, particularly when the alcohol was flowing the way that it was. “I knew Batista’d be the right guy fer the job. Fuckin’ ruthless he is,” Hunter crowed and Randy felt a righteous surge of anger on Chris’ behalf as he bragged, “-I mean, if the woman hadn’t interrupted I’d reckon that no-one’d be able to recognise ‘is body!” they toasted one another again and Randy felt sick; to think that one of these men was the one who was charged with protecting and serving the people and ensuring their freedom and safety… Bone Orchard was screwed.

“Where’s he now? He still in town? If we wanna chance t’make this stick it might be a good idea if he goes off again,” Shawn said.

Hunter waved a hand and spoke in a tone that was loaded with confident dismissal, “He’s gonna hang around a couple more days until we know what’s goin’ on with Jericho-“though it was not explicitly stated that he’d take another shot at the man Randy knew he wasn’t the only one who was hearing him giving the meaning, “-an’ then he’s gonna go. With a pretty penny in his pocket as thanks from me for services rendered to our fair town.” More laughter greeted the words and Randy’s jaw clenched tightly, throbbing in protest.

“Didja manage t’secure the gentleman that ya said ya were thinkin’ of for your deputy?” Hunter asked.

Shawn smirked slightly to himself, “Imma thinkin’ that this time around Sheriff Cena’s gonna be much more amicable to take on board our suggestions.”

Randy heard what sounded like Hunter’s glass landing on the desk heavily in surprise, “Cena? You approached Cena?” The glee in his voice was palpable because although he had showed what was a rather restrained displeasure when John had turned them down the first time he had actually been even more annoyed than he had let on. No one turned down a Helmsley and walked away Scott-free. “How didja manage to convince him, then?”

Tapping his nose with a finger Shawn winked, “Don’ you worry; jus’ know that Missy James will be outta that house an’ off yer land before too long.”

Hunter laughed once more and they lapsed into silence and completely general topics as they finished the whiskey. It was just before midnight as their celebration drew to a close and Hunter left pretty sharpish—no doubt so the deputy couldn’t see him and start thinking it was odd that their town sheriff was drinking so late at night with possibly the wealthiest man in the area.

The door opened and a rather small man with a dark hat tipped low entered the building. The rather smashed sheriff cum stand-in mayor grinned lazily as he saw him, “Right on time, Jamie, what’s wrong wi’ ya? Couldn’ find some filly ta warm ya bed so ya didn’ bother with it?” he laughed mockingly and clapped the fellow on the shoulder, “Keep an eye on the fella in the cells, Noble, don’ be gettin’ too close to ‘im now—see ya later.”

The sheriff sauntered out of the jailhouse and the door swung shut loudly behind him. Randy supposed that feigning sleep would make things easier for him with regards to the stranger and so he merely continued to do so. However, when someone’s voice hissed out, “Randy? Rand? Ya awake in there Viper?” he found himself sitting up so quick the bench creaked ominously.

“Evan?”

The small man removed the hat and smiled weakly as he nodded his head, touching the bars that held Randy in. “Don’ ya look a sorry sight? I know yeh’re a kiny bastard an’ all, but cuffs? Seriously?” the jokes were weak but the smile he wore was more genuine and Randy brought his cuffed hands to the bars as Evan eased one of his own in, grasping it firmly.

“Ev… ya gotta know I didn’ do this,” Randy said immediately, voice low and urgent. It wasn’t the thought of losing his life that had him needing to impress the truth upon Evan, it was the fact that Evan was his friend and he would never do the other wrong like that.

Squeezing his mentor and friend’s hand Evan nodded his head, “I know. I know ya wouldn’ do this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hip flask that he had been given by John before heading over here. They were all still back at the doctor’s place keeping vigil over Chris’ safety, and it was only thoughts of the fact that he really needed to see his friend, to reassure him, that had even gotten him from Chris’ bedside at all. “I know about the lawyer, an’ I know what Michaels wants wi’ you an’ John…” his small smile was replaced by a frown.

Randy snarled softly before recovering himself, “We’ll figure this out,” he tried to promise the other, but figured right then that words wouldn’t mean much to Evan. Tentatively he broached in a gruff voice, “How’s Chris doin’? Stubborn jackass not woke up yet?” The words might seem crass but Evan knew them for what they were and he shook his head balefully. “How’d ya get in here?” Randy asked and Evan quirked a small, rather devious smirk.

“Mr Noble’s currently been otherwise engaged not too far from here an’ I happened to be told where he likes to go and so I borrowed his clothes for the evening.” For the first time in what felt like an age Randy laughed; he laughed good an hard and felt all the better for it after the complete shit-pit of a day he’d had.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six: A Little Privacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Randy imparts information on Chris' assailant to Chris, and just as the boys are attempting to create a plan of action for the meanwhile an almost miraculous development occurs...

Turning on his heel Mike started to walk ahead of Alex somewhat, though Alex could tell that the other was looking at him out the corner of his eye to see whether he was following. No-one could think it was odd that they were heading in the same direction as one another because they were literally a few streets away from being neighbours and all. Running a hand through his hair as he removed his hat, Alex then exhaled a sigh before replacing it back on. Though he knew he was taking a big risk in terms of his self-control to be alone with Mike again he couldn’t bring himself to say no anymore than before and so started after the lawyer.

The walk took very little time at all but to Alex it seemed to take forever, each step he took transporting him back to that night even though the distance most certainly hadn’t been there last time. Even though Mike seemed as cool and casual as always (seeming arrogant and haughty sometimes, which he was but not as much as you might think when you actually spent time with him) Alex could see the tension in his spine, the almost immovable set of his neck and head, eyes staring straight and onwards. When they reached Mike’s home the brunette unlocked the door to the modest one bedroom, kitchen-containing and outhouse possessing building. It might not seem like much but it was all his and he had worked hard to spruce it up and make it somewhere liveable. “Make yerself comfortable,” he said as he closed the door behind Alex, the click of the latch like a gunshot.

“Thanks…” Alex removed his hat and moved into the living-room area, sitting himself down on the singular armchair that Mike possessed that was adjacent to his couch; he didn’t trust himself to sit by Mike on the couch and not do something that would come back and bite him in the ass before too long. Mike came in not a few moments later sans his suit-jacket and carrying too glasses, his surprisingly ‘buff’ physique framed by his tailored shirt and waistcoat as well as his tight trousers… or at least Alex believed that they were tight. Not that he was looking or anything, you know, but—“Thanks,” he accepted the glass he was handed.

It took him a moment to realise that both glasses were for him and he eyed Mike slightly, “The medicine fer ya headche’s in that one,” he said, pointing to the oddly coloured liquid he had in the glass in hand, “-And this one’s normal water that’ll take the taste away.” Alex’s nose wrinkled and he eyed the glass much like a child would when confronted with the prospect of having to eat their broccoli. “Alex… if yeh’re head hurts that bad then this’ll help,” the tone was light but Alex could tell the firmness of the undercurrent of his voice even so. Sighing, Alex nodded his head and then steeled himself before downing the contents of the glass.

He gagged and spluttered as the bitter mixture met his throat and made his eyes stream, blindly reaching for the second glass that Mike pressed into his flailing free hand. The water was a blessed relief to his throat and Alex had to use all his self-control not to upchuck there on Mike’s nicely kept floor. “That is vile!” he hacked, uncaring right then if he sounded ungrateful, “Does it take away the pain in yer head by replacing it with scaldin’ ya throat to bits?” he demanded weakly and looked up at Mike. All throughout his theatrics he had kept surprisingly calm—not something that was his usual forte; he had a big secret flair for theatrics as Alex had discovered that night all those months ago.

“Man up Deputy,” was all Mike said in response before he then walked into the kitchen with the two glasses back in his hands, undoubtedly smirking to himself a she walked away. Mike had always been able to tease him, almost childishly, enough to rile him up and really get him going, even from the first time they had met. Even though he had never sensed any hostility in his words before he couldn’t help but wonder sometimes whether Mike meant his words at least on some level… but he didn’t like to acknowledge that he was thinking about Mike too much and so he didn’t dwell on the issue. When the man returned back to sit opposite him he looked across to the lawyer, waiting for him to speak.

However, it seemed Mike was waiting for the same thing from him. Eventually the silence pissed Alex off to the degree where he sighed, “Ya obviously know the accused considerin’ yeh’re defendin’ ‘im, an’ sheriff Cena doesn’ believe that he did it, and neither do some others from what I can tell—“he didn’t get to be a deputy for the sake of things and he had noticed the subtle reactions of certain other men with regards to Randy’s incarceration and everything Shawn had been saying before. “An’ we were lookin’ around fer some stuff to see whether we could get a proper identification of the assailant…” Alex’s cheeks flushed and his eyes dropped; he had just admitted to going behind his boss’ back and breaking many levels of protocol, meaning that if Mike turned him in on the matter then he was going to end up on the high-jump faster than he could offshoot a round of bullets from his service gun on continuous firing-range.

A contemplative look crossed Mike’s face and he nodded his head, “Well, I know of people who think Randy’s bein’ set up—“that was something he could get away with saying considering it would be heard in a fair trial even if the names of those setting him up weren’t, “-an’ he himself seems to believe he’s been set up.” The brunette leant back in his seat somewhat, legs thigh over thigh and arms crossed over his chest but with an index finger tapping at his chin as he lost himself in thought. Alex found himself just watching Mike; he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t missed doing so.

“Mike… what’s gotcha so jumpy?” He had noticed the way Mike seemed to be darting looks towards the door and windows when he thought Alex wasn’t looking and although he had believed somewhat before when he had claimed everyone was concerned enough to be jumping at shadows, he couldn’t help but think there was something off about this whole thing; Mike might thrive on drama and theatrics but he was being more consistent than Alex had ever seen him. If it was just some big joke then it was a dangerous one; lives were on the line here. Mike’s head snapped around so fast to look at him that it cracked and Alex winced along with him as he found himself getting up and moving around the back of the seat where Mike was sitting, fingers finding the back of the other’s neck and starting to rub. It was only when Mike next spoke that he realised what he’d done.

“Alex… what are you doin’?” the words were quiet, almost defensive and… frightened? But, it wasn’t a fear like he thought Alex was going to hurt him that much Alex knew even though trying to put a label on the current atmosphere between them was impossible.

“I don’ know,” the deputy admitted quietly as his fingers continued to gently soothe Mike’s neck, the tension that had filled the man initially seeping out of him after a few moments as he positioned his head in a more comfortable position which allowed Alex to do as he pleased. Biting on his bottom lip as Mike released a quiet moan as the pain from his sudden movement receded slowly.

“I think ya should have a glass of that awful stuff from earlier,” he commented as lightly as possible though he was shamefully aware that his voice was a pitch or two higher than usual and wavered somewhat, “I mean, it’s only fair an’ I guess it’d help ‘cause that sounded painful whatcha did.” Although he was ragging on the medicine since he would rather wear a can-can dancer’s outfit than admit that it had worked as good as it had considering what he had had to go through to swallow the stuff.

Mike chuckled at the comment though. “It’s already feelin’ much better, thank ya. Sure ya ain’t thinkin’ of doing that professionally?”

It was amusing listening to Mike talk because although he tended to stick a more articulated and formal register he was just a town boy like himself at the end of the day and even though you could take the boy out of the town you couldn’t take the town out of the boy; something that was proved by the way his speech patterns changed depending on how he felt and who he was talking to. Clearing his throat softly he finally and forced his hand away from Mike’s neck… shivering as he realised how his fingertips felt as though they were aflame from where they had had previously forbidden contact with Mike’s flesh. “I’m glad. I mean, that is t’say I’m glad that I could help ya out ya know?” he recovered himself quickly.

He was well aware that he had long overstayed the reason that he was supposed to have been there for (they had exchanged all the information they were at liberty to give one another) he couldn’t bring himself to leave immediately. Since the night when everything had changed for him he hadn’t been able to risk the chance that he might even so much as glimpse Mike walking down the street… his friends had claimed he was becoming a workaholic, working much too hard and turning into a hermit to boot. He had just flung some lie that he had many extra responsibilities to take care of now and that was all there was to it.

Those who didn’t accuse him of focusing too much on work were thinking that he had some lover… and whilst that wasn’t true on some levels, it was too close to a degree and he had lashed out defensively—his friends seemed to think that he had some secret girl on the go.

“Alex… Alex?”

It was only when Mike’s voice sounded suddenly that he realised he must have spaced out on Mike and he cleared his throat as he blushed embarrassedly before grabbing his hat and making his way towards the hallway door. “Thanks fer the medicine and the chat, Mike, but I gotta book it. Got work in the mornin’ an’ all like I said.”

Standing from where he had been sitting on the couch, skin still covered in goosebumps from Alex’s touch, Mike looked across to Alex’s rather broad back. “Alex… about what happened between us? I’m sorry. If I had known it would have made things like this between us I never would have… I’d really appreciate if you could just continue to keep it to yourself about, you know, me?” Alex’s fists clenched; he wanted to touch him so bad, to hold him, reassure him.

~:~

Once Randy had stopped laughing, he felt all kinds of better. He was in a bad spot, they all were, but there had to be something he could do to change that. They had been in bad spots before and they’d always managed to get out of them somehow. He stowed his food on the horrible wooden bench and went back over to the bars, trying to see just how Evan looked in the gloom. He would bet the younger man hadn’t slept and hadn’t allowed himself to be dragged from Chris... in fact, that he was there to see Randy was something that touched him. Evan believed he hadn’t done what he was accused of and that was a huge weight off his mind.

“There’s some stuff none of y’know – stuff I overheard since John left,” he said, feeling a flare of anger go through him. “It’s important but I gotta know – is he plannin’ on showin’ up here tomorrow?”

Evan nodded. “He don’t see no other way and neither do I. We gotta keep you healthy and if he’s gotta play the game awhile, he’s willin’ ta do that. He ain’t happy ‘bout it though.”

“I bet.” Randy’s face was grim, his laughter killed at the thought of John’s strings being pulled by that asshole Michaels, who in turn seemed to be controlled by Hunter. “Listen. I heard Michaels talkin’ earlier, he thought I was sleepin’ and he’s loose-lipped when he’s drunk. I’m sure that—“ He hesitated a moment, wondering if telling Evan everything was really a good idea. The man was handy but the man who’d attacked Chris from behind was ruthless and he didn’t want Evan going up against that on his own if he decided on revenge. It wasn’t like he could do anything from behind bars. But Evan wasn’t stupid either and Randy knew he could trust Evan to do the right thing.

“Just promise me yer goin’ straight back ta Chris when ya leave here and tellin’ John and Cody everythin’,” he said sternly. “No detours, no visits, no nothin’.”

“You know who hurt Chris!”

“Promise me first Ev. This ain’t somethin’ ya need ta be messin’ with alone.”

Evan sighed, his instincts telling him to prise the name from Randy and then head off, gun loaded and ready, to take the guy down. But Randy was right, there were things that the others needed to know before he went looking for revenge... and he needed to be back for Chris. Already he felt like he should be there, in case the blonde decided to regain consciousness. Or get worse.

“Fine. I promise. Tell me who did it Randy.”

Randy met Evan’s eyes, seeing the rage that simmered just beneath the calm exterior. Suddenly he was glad that Evan would need the help to even find the guy they were talking about. “Batista. The guys name’s Batista. Doesn’t sound like he’s a local but he is still in town – and you need to be keepin’ an eye on Chris, real close. If there’s even a whisper of him recoverin’, there’s a good chance he’ll come back ta finish the job. Michaels and Helmsley hired him, sounded more like Helmsleys doin’ that one though.”

Fury flashed in Evan’s eyes, but he recovered admirably and more importantly, he didn’t break for the door to go searching out Batista. Randy was grateful for that small mercy. “They’re holdin’ me over John’s head so’s he goes along with them, but I’ve no idea what the hell they want! Somethin’ ‘bout Mickie’s land, that much we got, but there ain’t nothin’ there I can think of that’d warrant all this trouble.”

“Chris owns it,” said Evan slowly. “If he died... I don’t know what’d happen to it. It might revert ta the town, but I don’t know. Might be worth askin’ that lawyer if he knows anythin’. If Chris made a will, he’ll have done somethin’ ‘bout that in there or he might know what’ll happen.”

“Michaels was pretty sure that Chris bein’ out of the way means they get their hands on that farm.”

Evan smirked. “Then Michaels don’t know Chris. He’ll have put a spanner in the works somehow.”

Randy nodded. “But that Mike, he might not have been the one who made it.”

“Worth a try.”

“And I thought he was takin’ this whole thing pretty serious. He might see his way ta answerin’ us. And if that’s the case, I can’t see ‘em offin’ anyone else ta get their hands on it. Looks too suspicious.”

Evan grimaced a little at the choice of words but didn’t rebuke Randy, he was right after all. “I just wish Chris’d wake up,” he said, trying not to sound too shaky but if he couldn’t be shaky in front of Randy then there was no one else he could be. Randy had seen him shaky before.

“He will Ev. It’s just gonna take some time.” Randy paused. “Perhaps we should put out the word that Chris is gettin’ worse. That’ll keep this guy away from him... or maybe we should say the opposite. Lure him ta the docs and take of him.”

“No.” Evan shook his head emphatically. “I wanna lure him out, you have no idea how much. But I ain’t takin’ a risk on usin’ Chris as bait, not when he can’t look out for himself.”

“I figured as much, but thought I’d better suggest it.” Randy smiled a little. “You’d better go back, before this Noble fella decides ta find himself some spare pants and come do his job.”

“Okay.” Evan managed a smile. “You look after yaself, get some sleep. We’re gettin’ you outta here Randy, one way or another. Just sit tight.”

“I don’t got a choice.” Randy looked grim. “But the moment I get outta here, I’m makin’ sure that Michaels gets what’s comin’ ta him.”

“He put you in here when he knew what really happened to Chris, he went along with it even if he didn’t set it all up.” Evan’s expression mirrored Randy’s. “I’ll be right beside you helping ya.”

~:~

Alex forced his fists to unclench and with a deep breath and some considerable courage, turned to face Mike. The other genuinely did look contrite, somewhat unhappy and Alex had to yet again stop himelf simply crossing the room and holding the other man in his arms awhile. “I know when ta keep my mouth shut,” he told the other, but the expected look of relief didn’t show. “Why’re ya sorry?” he asked before he could keep track of his mouth, regretting the question as soon as it was asked and yet still talking. “Because it happened?”

Mike seemed startled that he’d actually approached it and not merely fled; probably he’d guessed just how little Alex had wanted to address what had happened in any kind of solid way. Admitting it was a step further than expected. “That it made things awkward between us,” he said awkwardly. “I wish it didn’t. That it happened? Nah, I’m not sorry ‘bout that. Except that it changed things... shit.”

Mike shook his head in frustration and Alex found himself actually taking a step toward the other before stopping himself. What was he planning, to revisit all that, make things tough on himself? Some things were better left forgotten – although he knew he’d be thinking of what Mike said to him over and over while he lay sleepless in bed that night.

“Look, it’s late,” he said. “Things are strange and I don’t think we should be talkin’ ‘bout this right now.” He paused a moment. “I’m sorry things are... like they are,” he added. “Maybe we can try actin’ more civil in future?”

Mike actually looked slightly amused by this, not that Alex saw what was so funny. “Yeah, sounds good,” he replied. “I’ll see you in the mornin’.”

Alex was confused for a moment until he remembered that Mike would probably be visiting Randy and he would be working. “Sure, I’ll see ya then,” he replied, letting himself out of the house and walking down the street, stopping for a moment to look back at Mike’s house with a quiet sigh. He wished there was some easier way to do this, to stop himself feeling anything for the other, but every time he saw Mike, it all came rushing back. That Mike regretted only that they seemed unable to talk to one another though... that was something to consider.

He made off back to his own place, not realising that Mike had watched him from the window until he was out of sight and there was a look of tight unhappiness on the lawyers face.

~:~

John had fallen asleep in the chair in the corner, a frown on his face even as he rested. Ted glanced over at him with a slight frown before turning his attention back to Chris, who might have been the recently deceased if not for the rise and fall of his chest. There were only two chairs; Cody had taken a seat on the floor at his side, a hand running up and down Ted’s leg in a soothing gesture. Much as he liked the touch, Ted would have preferred it if Cody would take the chair and try for a little rest. He felt wakeful and he could keep a look-out for all of them. But Cody had merely shaken his head at the suggestion and taken up his current position.

“Isn’t there anyone at all we can go to?” he asked in a low voice. “I mean, there’s gotta be someone who can throw the book at a crooked sheriff, right?”

“Yeah. The mayor.” Cody sighed slightly. “The only chance I’m seein’ of any of this comin’ ta light without Chris here decidin’ ta open his eyes is if things go well at the trial. Trial’s public and that Mike seems more than willin’ ta make a scene outta it. We got folk sayin’ Randy wasn’t the one that did it, includin’ the only one that saw the attacker. Shame there ain’t no one else who saw the guy, but I’ll take what we can get. The only thing that might screw things up would be if Randy admitted ta attackin’ Chris.”

“Why would he do that?”

Cody looked up at Ted, then over at John. “Shawn might make him,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how far he’d go before he says enough. Shawn’s got enough on both of ‘em ta make this real awkward and dependin’ on what happens with John tomorrow, he might have more. He might have John goin’ down alongside Hunter and Shawn.”

Ted pressed his lips together and thought it over. “Then we need a trial just as soon as we can get one.”

“I think Shawn’d rather let Randy sit in jail awhile.”

“Can we force somethin’? Can Mike?”

Cody shook his head. “I dunno. Worth a try.” There was quiet for a while as both men gathered their own thoughts and then Cody sighed. “If the worst comes to the worst, then we’re gonna hafta light out. Bust Randy out, take you and John with us. I don’t think Evan’ll be leavin’ if Chris ain’t.”

“Me too?”

“I wouldn’t leave ya behind here.” Cody gave Ted a rather tired smile. “Everyone knows you and John showed up together and there’s a chance someone’ll try ta drag ya into the whole mess somehow. ‘Specially if we leave ya alone here. But don’t worry Teddy, I’ll make sure it don’t happen while you’re here in town and if we do hafta leave in a hurry, I’ll see ya home.”

Ted’s heart plummeted but he held Cody’s gaze. “Maybe I don’t wanna go home.”

He didn’t know what he had expected but the rather wistful look that passed over Cody’s face wasn’t it. “Teddy—“

“What was that woman talkin’ about earlier?” asked Ted, cutting Cody off abruptly. He didn’t want to hear all the reasons why what he wanted had to remain a mere dream and that little scene had been on his mind all day.

Cody sagged, moving onto his knees and looking up at Ted. “It weren’t like she said it was. We was here a couple years back, as y’know. Our last night we got pretty drunk, the whole hog-roast. Evan ducked out early, ta see Chris it turns out. But me and Randy, we were centre of attention. Randy at least had some good sense, ended up leavin’ with Miss James. Me, I screwed up. There was a woman pretty much tellin’ me she was available, leanin’ all over me, y’know the kinda thing...”

“That woman from before?”

“Layla. Yeah. It got ta kickin’-out time and Randy vanished with Mickie. Layla asked me if I was gonna need a hand ta get ta my room and I kinda laughed, but she came up with me anyway. She weren’t no virgin and I was real up-front ‘bout how it was a one-time deal. I might be a lot of things and they might not all be good, but I ain’t no liar. And in the mornin’ I had a head ‘bout the size o’ Texas and her there tellin’ me now I had ta stay. She was not pleased when I told her no way.”

Ted looked stoic but there was some hurt in his eyes, Cody reached up and brushed his face. “I never lied ta her and I never go around huntin’ out virgins fer ta have my fun with. Truth is Teddy, I think I only slept with one actual virgin—“ Ted reddened slightly and Cody smiled. “And there’s more. I never lied to you neither and I ain’t lyin’ to ya now. She never meant one thing ta me, but you do and if things were different, I would love for ya to never go home. But...” He lowered his eyes. “This ain’t the life for you Ted. Yer better off home ‘cause you’re too damned good for this life.”

Ted stroked Cody’s hair softly, wishing there was something he could say. He believed Cody of course, but Layla had managed to strike at a chord in him. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew he hadn’t made a mistake with Cody and he would never, ever regret losing his virginity to the man.

Cody looked up and Ted drew him closer until Cody rose, kissing Ted full on his lips. They stayed that way for a long time and when they drew apart, Ted was certain he could see something akin to regret in Cody’s eyes. He could understand it; he had regrets of his own and most of them were out of the control of both of them.

Cody sat astride Ted’s knees, continuing to pepper kisses over Ted’s face but not allowing himself to take things any further. It was not the place and they should be alert – but he needed that much. He thought they both did.

He heard a noise from the door and whipped his gun out, not getting off Ted’s knee as he trained it on the door. At the same time, John rousted himself and pulled out his own gun, a heartbeat behind Cody. But it was just Evan returning and Cody quirked a smile when he realised that somewhere along the line Evan had changed his clothes, was dressed like one of the deputies.

“I bet Randy loved that.”

“He was amused,” agreed Evan, walking into the room and straight to Chris. There had been no change and he sighed a little.

“You should climb in next ta him,” said John. “Get some rest of yer own.”

“Don’t that sound nice.” Evan’s face hardened. “But I don’t have the time. Randy found out the name of the guy who did this ta Chris.”

Everything else was forgotten as the three men stared in shock at Evan. “Who?” asked John. “And how did he find out?”

“Some guy called Batista, not from ‘round here,” said Evan, fists clenching as he repeated the information. “Hunter showed at the jail, him and Shawn were drinkin’ and celebratin’ how well their plan went off. He was so damned steamin’ he just assumed I was his deputy, din’t have ta do no actin’ at all.” This last sentence almost spat out.

“This can prove that Randy’s innocent then!” Ted looked excited and Cody hated to be the one to dampen his spirits, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Who would we go to with the evidence?” he asked and Ted looked back at him, the smile slowly dying on his face.

Ted looked around at the bleakness on the other men’s faces, but he refused to believe that there was nothing they could do. “Then it all depends on a trial, right? We can just present it to everyone and Shawn’ll never be able to keep his job after that – as sheriff or mayor.”

“We all need to be careful,” said John. “This Batista, he’s dangerous and we’re already on the bad sides of those two. And we really need to keep an eye on Chris. He might want to finish the job.”

“Randy already said we should spread it ‘round that Chris ain’t gettin’ better and ain’t about to,” said Evan.

“Did he seem alright ta you?” asked John, knowing it probably wasn’t the right time but needing to know the answer.

“He’s worried ‘bout you,” said Evan honestly. “But he’s in much the same way as you’d expect. Goin’ crazy.”

John nodded. “That’s some good thinkin’ ‘bout Chris,” he said to change the subject. “Maybe we can ask Wade, tell him ta give the news ta the locals. It’ll spread faster that way.”

“We can do that in the mornin’” said Cody determinedly. “Think Wade’ll help, knowin’ it’s not true?”

“He’ll help,” said Evan. “He’s might pissed ‘bout alla this.”

“Guys, a little quiet?” The new voice, weary, hoarse and quiet as it was, cut through everyone else’s and stunned them all into silence. “Head aches like a bitch...”

“CHRIS!” Evan whirled around and met the half-open blue eyes of his lover, his own eyes widening and a smile coming over his face before he flew for the bed, mindful of Chris’ injuries but wanting to embrace the other.

Cody watched the scene with a grin of his own; had he doubted for a moment the sincerity of Evan’s feelings for the mayor then this put any of that out of mind. Evan was overjoyed, tears sparkling in his eyes as he finally allowed things to overwhelm him, now it was safe and Chris was awake. As Cody watched, Chris lifted an arm weakly and rested it on Evan’s back.

“C’mon Cody,” said Ted, touching his arm. “Maybe we should give those two a few moments of privacy.”


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Things Set In Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris' awakening brings as many troubles as much as it does happiness, and the boys have little choice but to fill him in. Miz and John Morrison have a little talk about his son's account and John subtly undermines Shawn's new authority.

As John headed out with the other two to give the reunited lovers some space Evan leant down and brushed his lips over Chris’ fleetingly, a tear trickling down his cheek as it managed to escape the tight hold Evan had tried to maintain on his emotions. Chris’ eyes were still rather hooded, still seeming rather out of it but the fact was that he was awake and speaking clearly if quietly… he had heard Dr Ross telling his assistant Gail that they would need to talk to Chris if he awoke to see whether he slurred his speech; apparently if he slurred his speech then that was a predominant sign that he would have some lasting head injury from his attack.

“Yeh’re awake…” Evan whispered, awestruck and still quite unable to believe it. Chris’ hand was shaking slightly on his back but he supposed that was due to lingering pain and the fact that it had been over twelve hours and the man hadn’t so much as twitched since that first movement all those hours ago when he had been brought in to the doctor’s office.

“Puppy… what’re ya cryin’ for?” there was a small, weak but genuine smile on Chris’ lips to denote the fact that he was merely teasing the other gently, trying to reassure him that he needn’t do so anymore. “I know I hardly look my best right now, but surely it ain’t that bad? Ya got a mirror on ya by any chance so I can check?”

“Nah, sorry,” Evan sniffed through a weak chuckle and tried to wipe the tell-tale tears from his eyes even though he knew it was rather pointless since Chris had already seen them, “I can ask Cody fer ya in a bit though—I know he carries a mirror ‘round with him.”

Chris gave a weak choking huff of laughter and Evan hastened to fetch him a glass of water from the pitcher. Once his throat had been soothed by the rather tepid, but still blissfully soothing liquid Chris managed to finish the comment he had been intending to give before the laughter had caused him to momentarily be unable to do so. “Why doesn’ that surprise me? Boy always was concerned with his face…” the words were said in light jest and it wasn’t exactly a secret how much Cody prided his looks; the fact that his outlaw’s moniker was ‘Dashing’ said more than enough on the matter.

Resting his forehead gently on Chris’ chest Evan shook himself, “I still can’ believe yer’re up… I was terrified yeh weren’t even gonna open yer eyes again.”

Chris’ eyes closed momentarily before they opened again, the still somewhat hazy blue depths gentle as he moved his hand to touch Evan’s cheek, “I don’ think I coulda left you even if it was my time to go,” the blonde admitted softly.

When Chris then asked him, “Are ya Ok?” Evan didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh at the so very Chris behaviour as to being more concerned with others than himself or shout at the other for not being more selfish and focusing on himself. “I’m fine now,” Evan said seriously, “Or I will definitely be soon.” Having Chris awake was a blessing and all they had to do now was to get rid of some complications and everything would be great again.

“What’s been happenin’?” Chris asked but Evan shook his head firmly, gently pushing Chris to lie back flat on the bed when it seemed like the other was going to get up.

“We ain’t gonna talk about anythin’ t’night. Tomorrow we’re gonna talk all ya want but fer tonight I want ya to rest. Will you do that for me?”

Chris would have protested had his head not been so painful and he had so very little energy, but as it was he merely grasped Evan’s hand in his and nodded, “Alright, not tonight… but tomorrow you’re gonna tell me everything.” And he knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Knowing it’d be pointless to argue with Chris and that he would have to tell him all about what Hunter and Shawn had done and who his assailant was before too long, Evan merely nodded his head. Pressing another kiss to Chris’ forehead Evan then exhaled a soft sigh and was merely contented to remain in the other’s embrace. Outside the sky was getting lighter and Evan was surprised to note that many of them had essentially been up all night… despite knowing he was supposed to be tired though Evan had no will to sleep even then.

A sudden thought crossed Evan’s mind; would it be safe for anyone to find out Chris was awake? If they explained some of their fears to doctor Ross then they might be able to get the man to keep stum, especially if he knew it was in Chris’ best interest—and Gail was very strict about visitors usually anyway so they could always just ask her to up the ante on her vigil for keeping nosy people out who might discover the truth. That was something he was going to need to discuss with his friends when they came in; a couple more perspectives on the idea would do him a world of good he knew.

Just as he was leaning down for another kiss the door opened again and a sheepish Ted and Cody appeared. Evan pulled back from the kiss and looked across to them, sending a silent query as to where John had gone. Ted’s sheepish expression immediately fell into a concerned one as Cody’s turned into one that spoke of sucking on a particularly sour lemon, “He had t’go an’ get ready fer the day,” Cody muttered and Evan sighed in understanding.

A hand squeezed his own gently and Evan looked down at Chris, “What’s wrong Chris?” he asked softly.

Chris’ brow furrowed weakly and he rasped, “What’s goin’ on with Cena? And where’s Randy gotten off to?” A sharp inhalation of breath sounded from Ted and Evan supposed that he was going to have to tell Chris what had happened sooner than intended. However, he really didn’t want to freak the other out.

Motioning for his friends to come closer to the bedside Evan then asked, “Ted, yeh’ve gotta watch han’t ya? What time is it?” when the other reported that it was nearing to six in the morning Evan then scrubbed a hand over his face; doc Ross or his nurse Gail would be in soon and they wouldn’t have much chance to talk then. “Chris, ya gotta promise me that ya won’t freak out. Yeh’re in no condition to be upsettin’ yourself alright?” Actually, Evan was devoutly hoping that Chris would go back to sleep again once they had talked so that the other could get some more rest and not have a chance to blow his top.

“Alright…” Chris agreed in a mumble, “I won’t get mad,” he didn’t think he had the energy to do so if he was perfectly honest about it.

“Well,” Evan exchanged a look with the other two men and then sighed before they started to fill in the gaps for Chris; they spoke of his attack, Randy’s arrest, Shawn’s taking-over of his position and the blackmail he was exerting upon Randy and John and how Hunter was obviously master-minding the whole operation. “And,” Ted was the one to offer the final thought, “We know who your assailant is, by name, and that he is currently still in the area.”

For a moment Chris didn’t seem to move, but then colour flooded his still pale and bruised face and he started to coil in on himself with a groan of pain; Evan and Cody were quick to press him down and Evan whispered in low, frantic tones that Chris needed to calm himself down and get it done now, or Chris was going to be in such trouble… after a couple of tense minutes Chris relaxed again, still groaning quietly to himself it took the blonde very little time at all to fall back to sleep without any conscious decision to do so on his part.

Sighing, Evan scrubbed his hands over his face and looked to Ted and Cody, “You two should go an’ get some rest.”

Cody reached across Chris’ prone body and squeezed his friend’s shoulder firmly, meeting his eyes, “What about you? Jesus, Evvy, you look dead on yer feet, ya need t’get some rest too.”

Nodding in acceptance of the words Evan licked his dry lips and looked down at Chris’ sleeping face before gently brushing some of his blonde hair back from his forehead, “I will… I’ll rest here. I ain’t leavin’ him.” That much they had anticipated.

“Make sure you do,” Ted said suddenly and Evan quirked a small smile at him, especially as he saw the way Cody’s eyes softened and he seemed to light up as he looked at the blonde; his friend deserved someone as sweet and naïve as Ted in his life because he kept the somewhat egotistical and vain side of Cody grounded, bringing his better qualities to the surface.

“—We’ll bring you back some breakfast once we’ve had some sleep, Ok?” Cody was saying as Evan came back to himself.

After a few more exchanges of goodbyes and promises to be careful Cody and Ted left reluctantly and Evan sank down into the chair by Chris’ bedside once more. Blinking heavily as his eyes itched with tiredness and weariness seemed to come back to him double-fold after the triumph and joy of Chris’ awakening. Evan supposed he must have dozed off because the sudden click of the door closing for the first thing he registered and his hand flew to his gun—but when he opened his eyes and looked about wildly he found himself looking into the amused faces of Dr Ross and Wade. “Easy young man,” Dr Ross mused as Evan slowly calmed, rubbing his eyes.

When the ravenette suddenly turned serious both men seemed to pause, curious, especially when Evan said, “Dr Ross, Wade… just the two men I needed t’see. I’d like ta talk t’you gentlemen.”

Dr Ross raised his eyebrows but merely said, “Certainly, what can we help you with?”

“Chris woke up a couple hours ago.”

Wade looked startled yet delighted, but Dr Ross frowned. “Young man, I asked that you get me immediately if that happened!”

“I know an’ I’m sorry, but he was sleepin’ again before I could an’ then I didn’t wanna leave him.” Let the doctor make of that what he would. “He wasn’t slurrin’ or nothin’ and he took a little water. Said his head hurt.”

Wade gave a snort of laughter at the comment that Evan thought was probably more relief than anything else, while Dr Ross moved to the bed. Evan stopped him. “Before ya wake him up, there’s somethin’ I need ta ask ya both.”

The two men looked at him expectantly and Evan took a deep breath. No way was he going to tell them his whole reasoning, but he thought he’d covered himself and he didn’t even have to lie about it. “Someone wanted Chris dead, we know that much fer sure even if it ain’t been proven who did it yet. That’s what I’m worried about. I think it might be fer Chris’ own good if we was ta keep him comin’ ‘round to ourselves awhile. Maybe even say he’s gettin’ worse. That way, whoever did this won’t be comin’ back ta finish the job.”

Wade nodded slowly, clearly thinking the logic was sound, but Dr Ross looked dubious. “I dunno, people in town are mighty fond of the mayor and they’ll all be put out when they find out they was worried ‘bout him for no good reason. Even more so when they know we was lyin’ ta them.”

“But the man’s got a point Jim,” said Wade. “We haven’t got a clue why Chris was attacked and I’m not convinced the man they arrested had anythin’ to do with it. If there’s a chance whoever did this could finish what he started, then I’m all for tellin’ a lie. Anyhow, the townfolk’d understand.”

Dr Ross looked doubtful but eventually nodded. “Fine then, we’ll keep this t’ourselves and be doleful when anyone asks ‘bout his chances. Although I don’t see the need when there’s a man locked away for it.”

Evan managed to bite his tongue but he and Wade shared a rather exasperated look as Jim bent over Chris and pulled up one of his eyelids to check his pupils. Chris moaned slightly, pulling away and waking again, looking barely conscious and confused.

“I see yer back with us,” said Dr Ross dryly. “How ya feelin’?”

“Like I got trampled by every cow on the James farm.” Chris sounded just as hoarse but to Evan’s ears it didn’t seem like he was slurring or struggling. He sounded weak though and he saw the way Chris’ eyes darted around the room before focusing on him, seeming to relax when he did so.

“I ain’t surprised.” Jim continued peering into Chris’ eyes, drawing grumbled protests. “What’s yer name?”

“You know my name!”

“Humour me.”

“Christopher Jericho.”

“Uh-huh, middle name?”

“Keith.” He frowned a little as Evan snorted with laughter. “What? Why does everyone always laugh?”

“Sorry,” said Evan, feeling a little giddy. “That’s Randy’s middle name too, only he’s real sensitive ‘bout it.”

Jim frowned, steering the questions back on track. “Birthday?”

“November ninth.”

“Good, that’s good. Yer job?”

“Mayor.” It was Chris’ turn to laugh, without any humour. “Or I was, ‘til this all happened.”

“Y’still are, as far as we’re all concerned,” Wade butted in.

Jim flapped a hand at him, indicating that he be quiet. “What’s the last thing ya remember?”

“Um...” Chris frowned slightly and Evan’s heart sank a little. What if the last thing he remembered was arguing with Randy, or something that happened days before? That would make things sound much worse for his friend. Or what if Chris had forgotten that he’d asked Evan to stay with him and that Evan had agreed? He might not want that anymore... and he forced himself to stop worrying. Chris had clearly recognised him when he’d woken and didn’t seem surprised that he was there. That meant he had some knowledge of the last few days.

“It’s all mixed up,” said Chris, sounding exasperated with himself. “I was in the kitchen makin’ myself some lunch, only there was no water left. And then I was lyin’ outside and there was a fella standin’ over me. That’s it.”

“That’s good,” said Jim and when he noticed the disbelieving looks, smiled a little. “Means he ain’t lost none of his memories and with a bash on the head, that’s always a risk.”

Evan nodded, suddenly filled with hope. If Chris was able to remember that much, then presumably he remembered Randy leaving and could say he’d already gone – and better, maybe he could identify the mysterious Batista.

“Right, you’ll be stayin’ here a few days,” said Jim briskly.

Chris tried to sit up and Evan noticed the strain he was putting on himself doing so and took a step forward, but Jim was already putting his hand on Chris’ chest to firmly make him lie back down again. “I can’t stay here Jim,” Chris said, striving to be reasonable. “Hell only knows what happened ‘round town while I was takin’ a nap.”

“Town’s in good hands, don’t you worry,” said Jim, not seeing the disdainful looks on the face of the two men behind him. “Anyway, yer friends convinced me it might be a better idea fer ya ta lie low a few days, make sure there ain’t no repeat of what happened.”

Chris took this in a moment, then tried to rise again. “Shit no! I ain’t hidin’ out—“

“You’re not in any kinda shape to defend yourself if it came down to that,” said Wade sharply. “Don’t start being difficult Chris.”

“Difficult’s my middle name.”

“Oh?” Evan smirked slightly. “Not Keith then? Perhaps we should make ya stay here if yer confused.”

“Hardy har.” Chris settled down on the cot, not looking happy about it. “So I get ta just lie here like an invalid?”

“Ya gotta get better in a real hurry,” said Evan sternly, but there was a light of hope in his eyes that had been missing for most of the day before. “I get the feelin’ we could use ya when Michaels decides ta bring Randy to trial.”

~:~

The following morning dawned not soon enough for Randy and he groaned as he stretched himself out atop the ridiculous wooden bench and sat upright. The deputy who had finally showed up to keep an eye on him, Noble, was snoozing across the room at the table and Randy rolled his eyes; kid was as big as a mouse and as frightening as one too. Rolling his shoulders out (and wincing as his age-old injury to the hyper-extended limbs ached warningly in protest from his hard bed) Randy reached under the bench for the food Evan had brought him last night. Thought it had meant eventually sleeping hungry he knew he’d be better saving it for that morning.

Finishing just before the Noble fellow woke up, Randy then tossed the rubbish to the side of the cell and folded his arms and leant against the wall where he sat and projected complete relaxation and ease to the man who was now blinking sleepily and seeming to remember that he was even there. The flicker of fear crossing Jamie’s face had Randy’s own morphing into a predatory sneer.

Ticking broke the uncomfortable, heavy silence between them and just as the clock struck six-thirty the door opened and a young man who was much taller and more built than Jamie entered. The brunette’s eyes locked on him and there was a weird expression flittering across his face before he turned to the other deputy, “Alright Jamie, why don’tcha go home and get some sleep?” from the sarcastic tone in the man’s drawl and the flush on Noble’s cheeks it was apparent that this newcomer knew that Jamie had been sleeping already.

Jamie took the dismissal immediately though and nodded, picking up his things hastily, “Sure Riley, I’ll jus’ be gettin’ on home now. See ya.”

As the door swung shut behind Noble, Riley snorted and shook his head in obvious distaste. The man then turned to look at him and that same expression from before was back. Quirking a brow Randy drawled in his low voice, “Can I help ya?” and the boy jumped, seemingly embarrassed even though he had to have realised that he was being watched and that Randy was awake.

“Yeh’re the one John’s so concerned about, arn’cha?” a redundant question but the way Randy’s whole body turned statuesque and his eyes widened a fraction told Alex all he needed to know. He had made some conclusions about the pair (not that he was judging) and Randy had pretty much just confirmed it.

As soon as the expression had come though it was gone and Randy’s eyes narrowed as he stretched his long body out and stood; the way the kid’s eyes widened and he seemed to tense assured Randy that he had made his true presence known upon him, and made it clear that he would and could hurt this boy if he made the wrong moves once he got out of there. “How d’ya know Cena?” Randy was fronting somewhat, trying to put some sort of distance of association between himself and John but something told him Riley wasn’t buying it.

“I spent a good portion o’ yesterday afternoon investigatin’ with him t’try an’ save your skin sir,” he said, moving to his usual seat at his little desk and sitting down. He could still see Randy and Randy could still see him though so their conversation continued.

“John? What was he doin’?”

Alex shrugged, “He was lookin’ at the crime scene an’ checkin’ the evidence; seems pretty convinced that yeh’re being set up somehow.”

Randy sighed, forehead resting against the bars and for a moment Alex saw the strong, intimidating figure of the trapped outlaw seeming almost vulnerable. Before anything more could be said between them though the door opened again and another man stepped in. “John,” Randy breathed, knowing full-well that he had probably just given everything away to the kid but not caring for once; he had much bigger concerns than some young deputy who had only just recently grown big enough to fit into his boots. The man looked tense, and tired—but the dimples appeared.

Confused as to why John could possibly be smiling –and shooting a quick look at the avidly watching Riley as John moved closer to the bars- before leaning forward to hear John’s whispered, “Mornin’ handsome… he’s awake.”

For a moment Randy didn’t make the connection and then his eyes widened to almost comic proportions, searching John’s face for whether this was some sort of joke. When the brunette’s bright blues continued to keep holding his own Randy couldn’t resist giving a small sigh of relief, “Thank fuck…” Evan had to be ecstatic.

Silently Randy asked John whether everyone else was alright and the brunette nodded—their moment being ruined when Riley suddenly asked suspiciously, “Why’re ya here Cena? ‘Specially so early?”

Turning towards Alex, John gave a slightly dark and unhappy smile, “Yeh’re boss summoned me here.” There was no way he was going to the Mayor’s office and dishonouring Chris like that; if Shawn wanted him he’d have to come and find him.

Riley looked concerned and a little uneasy, “Why?” on top of all his thoughts about Mike last night he had had all of the anomalous points that John had made regarding Chris’ attack that his boss seemed to be orchestrating.

“Couldn’ much tell ya,” John lied evasively, engaging the younger man in conversation as his hands rested behind his back and against the bars. As Randy’s fingers briefly held his own John took strength from the contact; he was doing this to save Randy. Whatever happened he was doing it for Randy’s sake, and for everyone else’s sakes… mainly for Randy though, he wouldn’t lie.

~:~

Sleep, as he had anticipated, was very poor for Mike that night; all he had been thinking about was Alex, and because that was an emotional conundrum his mind just wouldn’t stop and rest was therefore out of the question. Pushing back the covers of his bed he decided he may as well get a bath and have something to eat after getting dressed for the day; since he couldn’t sleep he might as well do something productive—like get a jump on returning to his latest case. It was possibly the most intriguing and terrifying situation he’d ever been involved in.

Padding downstairs Mike removed his bathtub from the storage cupboard he had and set the fire going before heading to his out-pump and getting a few pails of water; some for cooking and the others for his morning ablutions. As the water for his bath heated on the stove Mike went and fetched his freshly washed towel for afterwards before returning to get washed and shaved for the day.

Adjusting the shirt he wore once he was dry and had placed it on Mike finished changing into the rest of the distinguished grey suit that he had. Although he wasn’t exactly stingy with money he was careful with his expenses, his rather modest home belaying the rather expensive contents of his wardrobe—something his senior partner teased him about but was guilty of himself.

Tidying everything up and having a cup of coffee before then locking up after himself as he made his way into town, Mike was surprised to find his boss standing in the doorway of their office and looking out at something. “Michael?” he started, “Are you Ok?” the other didn’t respond, seemingly not hearing him, and Mike cocked his head and followed his line of sight to… Oh, of course.

Standing further down the road in front of the Holly’s Hardware store was the good doctor Jim Ross and their gun-merchant Jerry Lawler. His employer had a mutual abhorrence for the good doctor that Mike didn’t understand and that very few people seemed to know the true cause of, and with Jerry? Well, that was difficult because sometimes Michael was all over Jerry in terms of that he was nice to him, but at other times he was cold and dismissive… though those occurrences usually came about after Jerry had been around the doctor, or had him with him. To Mike’s surprise Michael’s jaw muscles were working somewhat, as though he was just itching to shout at the pair, fire in his eyes. However, as soon as it had come it passed and Michael was turning and going inside, leaving a surprised and ultimately confused Mike to follow him.

Mike really wanted to ask Cole what had been going on out there – he knew there was no love lost between the senior partner and Dr Ross, but had no idea why – however, Michael seemed to foresee the question and cut him off before he could even form the question. “What’s been going on with your case?”

“I’ve found out a few things,” said Mike. “The only thing keepin’ Randy in jail is circumstantial – he was the last guy seen talkin’ ta Chris and he’s real tall, just like Maria said. But she said it wasn’t him when she was shown a picture, right off the bat. Thinks the guy was taller still – there’s only one guy taller in the whole town though and that’s Barrett, the English barkeep?” Cole nodded to show that he knew who Mike referred to and slightly encouraged, the younger man kept going.

“She’s the only one that saw him and I think there’s a real good chance that I can get him found not guilty on that alone. But Randy seems ta think he’s bein’ set up by someone ta take the fall and I’m worried she might not come over very well if the judge gets convinced she’s not very reliable, maybe hysterical after what she saw...” Mike trailed off and Cole looked concerned a moment, but Mike gave a somewhat weak smile. “Uh, gas.”

“Gas.” Cole didn’t look too convinced, but at that moment there was a welcome distraction when the door opened and John Morrison walked in, looking rather annoyed to have to be there at all. He’d had business with them before, with his affairs on the farm mostly and Cole dealt with him; Morrison and Mike had been contemporaries a long time before but John’s marriage and Mike’s career had made things strained between them and now it was awkward when they spoke to one another. Another person he’d been close to who could barely pass the time of day with him now – Mike wondered what personality flaw made that happen around him so often.

Cole rose to shake the man’s hand – he wasn’t a major client but he was one that paid his bills on time and that was good enough given that it was a small town and it wasn’t as if they had a large client base to draw upon. Mike’s thoughts had led on to Alex and he managed to push those away, focusing instead on the matter at hand. Randy had warned Mike not to trust Shawn, to watch his back. But there had been so few criminal cases in town that in the last two years, all of them had been overseen by the mayor. That had been fine, Chris was pretty impartial and relatively lenient on minor crimes, the only kind they’d seen. Only Chris wasn’t the mayor at the moment. Shawn was. And this was not a minor crime. Randy would probably throw a fit if he got the news that Shawn was most likely to be the judge and Mike was starting to wonder if he could push for a jury trial instead, but how was he supposed to do that without almost admitting he thought Shawn was somehow involved...?

He suddenly realised that the two men in the room had stopped speaking and were looking at him. Jerking his head up, he gave them a smooth smile. “Sorry, I was considerin’ the case I’m on at the moment.”

“That’s what I’m here ta talk ta ya ‘bout.” Morrison didn’t look at all happy to be there. “I got somethin’ I think might help ya.”

Mike raised his eyebrows and motioned for Morrison to sit, taking his own chair and waiting until Cole had gone into the back, apparently sensing that the talk would be freer if he wasn’t there. “What’ve you got for me John?”

Uh-oh, there was that look on Morrison’s face, the one he had always worn when there was something he didn’t want to admit. Mike didn’t know if Morrison would actually say what he’d come to but the man was stubborn and apparently he thought it was important.

“My boy was outside Chris’ house yesterday, supposed ta be at school but ya know how boys are.” He sounded defensive, so Mike merely nodded. “He heard Miss Maria comin’ outta the house screamin’ ‘bout how the mayor had been murdered and y’know how a spectacle draws attention. He was still there when he sees a man comin’ outta there after her.”

Mike’s eyes grew round and suddenly there was nothing else on his mind but the story that Morrison was telling him. “He get a good look? Think he can describe him?”

Morrison didn’t look too impressed by Mike’s words and Mike knew the other probably didn’t like the interruption, but he couldn’t help himself. The bonus he could expect for getting the result Mr Smith expected wasn’t even his main consideration (although he wouldn’t be turning it down), it was the thought of being able to succeed in his job on such a grand scale, on the biggest thing to happen in Bone Orchard in the last two years. People would be talking about it for months and his reputation would be made.

Morrison probably knew what his thoughts were, they’d known each other long enough, and he smirked. “Yeah, he got a look at him. He din’t know Randy had been arrested fer it neither. Randy was ‘round fer dinner the night before, Melina insisted on it. Andy’s exact words were that the man he saw was taller than Randy. We asked him ta describe him some more later on, after we found out Randy was arrested and he was certain it wasn’t him. Said he wore different clothes and he was broader ‘round the shoulders.”

If Morrison hadn’t been sitting right in front of him, then Mike would have been whooping for joy, or at least rubbing his hands in glee. “I’m gonna hafta ask you to tell what he saw in the court.”

Morrison looked troubled and Mike felt his heart start sinking just as fast as his hopes had been raised. “Thing is Mizanin, there’s a dangerous man out there and if he finds my boy saw him, then Andy could be in some serious trouble too. He’s a violent, brutal man, look at what happened to Chris! The thought of someone like that holdin’ a grudge against my son, it makes my blood run cold, I don’ mind tellin’ you.”

Mike pressed his lips together, thinking hard. He understood where the man was coming from of course, but he needed Andy’s word on what had happened. “Randy ate at your table, don’t you wanna do all you can to get him outta this?”

“That’s why I’m here,” replied Morrison, voice cold. “But I’m more concerned with what happens to my son than I am ‘bout Randy.”

Mike let out a long breath. “Can we talk straight out?” When Morrison nodded, he leant forward a little and lowered his voice. “I don’t think the plan was to set up Randy, not by this guy anyway. His plan was just to attack Chris and if Andy’d been seen? Yeah, I think he’d have been in trouble. But Randy’s role was convenience and nothin’ more – I think Sheriff Michaels saw a chance and took it.”

Morrison raised his eyebrows. “Why would Shawn wanna set Randy up fer this?”

Mike shook his head. “That I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe he acted too fast and he’s scared of lookin’ like a fool. But we gotta do the right thing here John, or else Randy might end up on the wrong end of a noose and there’s no takin’ that back.”

“And who’s gonna protect Andy once Randy gets freed?”

Mike settled back in his chair, wanting to give assurances that Andy would be just fine. But he had no way to promise that and Morrison would know he was just bluffing. Sometimes it was best to play things straight, no matter how much it was going to harm his chances. “Probably when this guy hears ‘bout bein’ seen and there’s his picture all over town, then he’ll run. Whatever reason he had fer goin’ after Chris, I don’t think he’ll bother doin’ anythin’ to Andy. There’d be no point given it wouldn’t change nothin’.”

“You don’t think.” Morrison looked annoyed. “Yeah, and I base my sons safety on that? Who’re ya foolin’? Look, I don’t mind gettin’ on the stand myself and sayin’ what I heard, but I ain’t about ta let Andy do it.”

Mike bit his lip a moment. “If there’s some way I can promise Andy’s safety, would you reconsider?”

Morrison shrugged, getting to his feet. “I might. I done what I came here ta do, now I gotta get back home. Andy’s not goin’ anywhere today, Melina won’t let none of the boys outta her sight.”

“One more thing.” Mike rose as well. “Why didn’t you go to the sheriff?”

“The one ya think’s settin’ Randy up?” Morrison smirked without much amusement. “I thought he made a bad judgement by arrestin’ Randy. And anyway, he ain’t sheriff no more, is he? He’s the mayor. I don’t even know who ta go to with this. Noble’s shiftless and Riley’s still wet behind the ears.”

Mike felt rather pained by this description of Alex but kept his poker face on and nodded. “I really do appreciate the information John. It could help Randy a lot.”

“I sure hope it does,” returned Morrison, heading for the door. “So ya don’t need Andy’s help.”

~:~

Alex was considered by some people to be naive and gullible, something he considered himself guilty of all too often, but he was pretty astute a lot of the time and when he noticed Randy’s reaction to John and how close John stood to the bars, he decided that sometimes discretion was a good thing. “’Scuse me a moment John – could ya keep an eye on the prisoner fer me?” John nodded once and Alex headed to the outhouse, even though he didn’t need to go – something both Shawn and Jamie would berate him for, telling him he was too trusting. He was wondering himself if that was the case. Maybe John would have Randy broken out while he pretended to take a leak and lose him his job. But oddly enough, he didn’t think that was going to happen and he put his trust in his instinct, even though the sensible part of his mind was telling him he’d gone crazy.

The moment Alex closed the door behind him, John turned toward the cell and felt Randy’s hands on his shirt front, dragging him forward and a second later they were kissing through the bars. The steel against his face was almost cold but he barely noticed; Randy’s tongue demanding entrance to his mouth was at the forefront of his mind. He parted his lips and Randy immediately plundered his mouth, stealing any breath John might have had with the sheer urgency of the action. John’s arms went to Randy’s shoulders, feeling the heat of the other man’s body and cursed that there was no way for them to get closer than this.

When Randy finally broke the kiss John took in a much-needed breath, all but panting as he took stock of the situation. He needed to calm his body’s responses before Riley got back, that much was for certain. He was flushed, aroused and breathing far too hard, although he was gratified that Randy was doing the same thing. He looked up into Randy’s eyes and came close to being lost all over again, but the clink of metal on metal as the chain that ran between the steel cuffs on Randy’s wrists hit the bars of the cell reminded him of their situation and that they needed to be quick. Bless Riley and his insight, but John was sure he wouldn’t give them long. His conscience about his job wouldn’t allow it.

He didn’t immediately draw back from the other though, even when Randy let go of his shirt – the only part of John his hands could reach given how he was handcuffed. Randy too had seemed to realise that time was against them. “Chris is really awake?” he asked in a low voice.

John nodded. “Early on this mornin’. I don’t know how well he’s doin’, left Evan ta have his reunion—“

Randy smiled with honest affection, his own woes forgotten for a moment. “How was he?”

“Ev?” John chuckled a little. “I’ve never seen a man so happy in my life. Ted thought it might be fer the best if we gave ‘em some alone time and I slipped on out and here while they were reacquaintin’.” His expression grew serious. “But if y’hear anythin’ else, it’s ‘cause Evan said we should spread the word that Chris ain’t doin’ so well to stop the guy comin’ fer him again – and yeah, he said it was your idea. Good thinkin’.”

Randy tried and failed to look modest. “I get my best ideas when I got all the time in the world ta do nothin’ but think,” he said dryly. “Anythin’ else I need ta know?”

“Only there seem ta be a lot o’ people in town convinced y’had nothin’ ta do with this.” John sighed a little. “We’re gonna try and get a quick trial. Seems to all of us that if we can show everyone ya didn’t do it, then there’s a lot o’ stuff’ll come out ‘bout how Michaels had somethin’ ta do with it.”

“Yeah,” said Randy with a snort. “And that’s exactly why that ain’t gonna happen.”

John’s lips curled into a secretive smile. “Don’t be too sure Randy. Y’never know what’ll happen.”

Randy frowned, leaning backward to better look at John’s face. “What’re ya plannin’ John?”

“Just trust me Randy.” With considerable reluctance, John finally let Randy go and moved a decent distance away from the bars.

Without John’s chest to rest against, Randy’s hands curled around the bars, his eyes showing both suspicion and clear concern. “Don’t you go puttin’ yerself in danger fer me John. I can look out fer myself.”

John’s level gaze met Randy’s own, but he remained quiet and Randy would have repeated himself had Riley not chosen that moment to make a somewhat noisy re-entrance – John wondered a moment if it was because he thought they were doing something he didn’t want to catch them at and was giving them chance to recover. He wasn’t far wrong. Riley took a seat at the desk and John continued to wait, wishing he could resume his earlier stance with Randy as much in his arms as he could manage – but regardless of what Riley may or may not suspect, there was such a thing as decorum. As it was, Riley kept sneaking both of them glances, not of disgust John noticed with some surprise, but of what seemed to be curiosity and thoughtfulness. It made him wonder just why Riley hadn’t reacted with more outrage. In many ways Bone Orchard was a laid-back place but it certainly wasn’t that free-thinking.

Shawn eventually showed up, looking slightly grizzled, eyes reddened and John wondered if he’d continued to drink once he’d left the jail. He gave the man a disdainful look and was momentarily distracted by Randy, who chose the moment Shawn began to speak to start pissing loudly into the chamberpot, whistling cheerfully. Shawn glared balefully at the man but Randy had his back to the gathering. John bit his lip hard to hide his amusement and when he glanced at Riley, noticed the other seemed to be hiding his own laughter as well.

“Fuckin’ animal,” he muttered, then appeared to rally himself. “John. Glad yer here. Though I was expectin’ ya at the mayors office”

John shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t goin’ ta see the mayor.”


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight: All Above Board

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn attempts to up the pressure on John and Alex realises that there's more happening in town than even he knew about. Wade is clued in by Evan and Co, and Maria makes a formal identification regarding the man who attacked Chris. John hopes to speed-up a trial by during against the newfound authority, and Mike delves into Chris' financial affairs.

Silence formulated the immediate aftermath of John’s words, even Randy’s obnoxious urination and whistling had stopped—everyone seemed suspended in place by the light but resonating quip. And then, after what seemed an age, a laugh left Shawn and the sound of it made the hair on the back of Riley’s neck stand up; the sound was without humour and Shawn’s smile wasn’t quite reaching his obviously wrecked eyes. “Fair enough,” the smile was still in place but John could see a muscle ticking in Shawn’s jaw before he composed himself. “Now then,” he looked to Alex momentarily and then said, “I take it you’ve met young Riley?” Alex really resented that little adjective tacked to the front of his name but Shawn never dropped it regardless of the times he had made his displeasure of it clear and his lips pursed tightly in response.

“Yeah,” John said casually, “We’ve met.”

It was apparent that Shawn obviously thought that this referred to them meeting that morning as John waited for him because he didn’t press the matter and instead moved closer to John. From where he was looking towards the cells Alex could see that John had tensed as Shawn had moved closer to John, his eyes narrow and his entire body seemingly frozen in place as his dark eyes were focused upon Shawn. “Didja give some thought about what we talked about?” Shawn asked casually, smirking as he stood slightly too close to John and invaded the man’s private space. John, to his credit, merely looked dead-ahead towards Alex.

Trying to hide the animosity that he so badly wanted to let out John nodded his head, “Yeah, I’ve thought about it.” He turned then, rather disgusted to find himself initially confronted with Shawn’s chest since the man was standing so close before he then lifted his head and met the older man’s eyes. Flames burned in the depths of the usually bright blue hues and Shawn would bet they probably took on a similar state when he was in the throes of passion too. With any luck he would soon be finding that particular piece of information out for himself. Maybe, if Randy was a good boy and behaved in jail then he would let the man watch.

“And?” Shawn prompted, a prickle running down his spine as his instincts seemed to register the murderous vibes that were being sent his way by the man in the cell not too far away.

“An’,” John said slowly, “I’ve decided that I’ll do it—so long as you hold up your end of the bargain.” Already he knew that that was probably not going to happen but hopefully this way would buy them all some more time and leverage… and at least if he was here then he could make sure nothing in the ways of an unfortunate accident befell his lover in the meantime.

This time the smile that Shawn had in place was much more genuine, the atmosphere around the man seeming to lighten up considerably, “Excellent; I knew you’d make the right choice.” On that note he looked at Alex, “Riley, I wancha t’keep up the good work ya hear me? I know you’ll do your best here with Cena won’t you?”

Alex recognised the undercurrent of warning and nodded his head, “Yessir.” Suddenly he felt really uncomfortable deferring to Shawn; the man’s behaviour gave him the distinct feeling that he was missing something… something big. “O’course I will,” he looked to John and then nodded.

Seemingly satisfied Shawn then placed a hand on John’s shoulder, squeezing the muscled appendage. A quiet growl sounded and Alex looked towards the cells in surprise—but Randy was merely sitting there with his arms folded and a cool expression of disgust on his face as he looked to Shawn. Had he made that noise? Alex didn’t know who else it could have been but neither John nor Shawn had reacted so he had to wonder whether he had imagined the whole thing. “I’d like ta see ya one a day fer a report on how things are goin’, Sheriff,” Shawn spoke directly into John’s ear, but loud enough so that everyone else could hear what was being said, “Ya can find me in m’new offices, come around lunchtime; the deputies’ll be around to keep an eye on things for ya whilst you’re… hammering out the thorny details of the jails dealing with me.”

John’s jaw set tightly, the implication of the dirty ol’ man’s words hitting him and he fought not to grind his teeth; he’d go but he’d only give the damn reports like he wanted, anything else and John was going to tell him where to go. The confusion on Alex’s face was swift before it vanished, something John was grateful about—Alex seeming too aware of the situation would tip Shawn off that things weren’t working as closely to his plan as he might like. “Well, I gotta get goin’ fellas,” Shawn said as he sauntered to the door, “I’m gonna go an’ visit the Doc’s and see how Chris is doin’ an’ then I’m gonna be gettin’ work done in the offices. If ya need me come an’ find me.” He looked at John as he said it and John resisted the urge to shout at the man for having no decorum or subtlety. He held his tongue however and even managed to force out a sickly sweet smile and a cheery, “Goodbye,” as the door shut.

“The hell’s that about?” Alex demanded, seeing the way John seemed to deflate and how Randy immediately moved closer to the bars… and the sheer sense of need he saw in the outlaw’s usually fathomless eyes, as though he wanted nothing more than to just embrace the suddenly world-weary looking sheriff, made a sense of longing erupt in his own chest but before he could ponder the emotion too closely though the door opened again. Before he could tell whoever it was that it was too early for visitation he felt his throat close up when he saw who was there: Mike and Miss Maria. Alex saw that John looked confused and figured that he had to know who Mike was and so guessed that he was wondering why the pair was there together.

~:~

As the doctor went off to fill in some forms or whatever it was doctors did, Wade moved closer to the bedside of his friend. “You’re lookin’ like shit, Chris,” he said companionably.

Chris rolled his eyes and quirked a ghost of a smirk, “Way to charm a fella Wade—that how you all do it back in England?” the pair exchanged a chuckle and Evan was reassured more than before that this was a man who could be trusted with Chris if he couldn’t be there. Not that he didn’t want to be there but he would need to go eventually even for a few minutes, be it to get food or even visit the outhouse. “Who’r running yeh’re bar fer ya?” he found himself asking and Wade looked to him after a moment.

“Justin an’ the girls are keepin’ an eye on things for me,” Wade said and Chris made a sudden rather knowing noise and Wade sent him a warning look, a blush covering his cheeks, “An invalid you may be but I shan’t hesitate to belt you one if you don’t shuddit.” Chris gave a small wave of his hand as though to say ‘yeah, yeah’ in the face of Wade’s threat though he still had that same slight smile on his face.

“That was the young fella that stopped by last night, right?” Evan reiterated to make sure and Wade offered an affirmative once more.

Before too long (just as Evan and Wade were both helping Chris try and manage some food and drink, the mayor obviously unimpressed about the way he was needing to rely on them both so greatly, there was another knock on the door and Ted and Cody both appeared. They still seemed tired but were at least a little more rested than before… Evan would bet it was probably the first time they had shared a bed and nothing had happened between them whilst they were in it. “Mornin’ Chris,” Cody tipped his hat and Ted asked in a quieter voice, “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Feelin’ an’ lookin’ like shit accordin’ to this clown,” he indicated Wade who maintained an innocent front and the other three men chuckled softly. Ted watched as Wade’s strong arm continued to support Chris in a more upright position as Evan spoon-fed some of the broth that Gail had brought in into the man’s mouth. It was strange; the picture itself highlighted that Chris was oh so very vulnerable at the moment and yet at the same time showed that Chris was probably even stronger than many gave him credit for in the fact of the fact that he was even conscious at all so soon.

“Sorry we did’ come by sooner—we was gettin’ somethin’ t’eat,” Cody handed another small bundle to Evan who nodded in thanks and set it aside on the bedside table for the moment; he’d eat when Chris had finished his own meal.

“Don’ worry about it,” Chris said as he paused after swallowing. Cody and Evan exchanged a look and Evan smiled slightly before nodding to the unasked question; he was doing much better than he had been yesterday and he was grateful that his friends had been so worried about him. “Anyone seen John this mornin’?” he asked.

Ted’s expression clouded as he shook his head, “We haven’t seen him since he left this mornin’.” Chris’ brow furrowed; though he didn’t like the fact that they would drag this situation out by pretending that he was still in the land of the nod, he had to accept that his lover had made a compelling point and everyone agreed with him, so...

“Cena?” Wade asked suddenly and the Englishman looked around the group. His brow arched as he asked, “What’s he got to do with anythin’?”

Cody looked to Ted, Evan and Chris, wondering whether it was safe or right to give Wade any more involvement than they already had. One look in Chris’ face though and he knew that the blonde trusted the Englishman with his life and would have no problem giving a mark in his favour should they ask him. “I tekkit ya don’ think that Randy attacked Chris?” he started.

Wade shook his head, “Nah, I really doubt that he did. It jus’ don’ add up if you know what I mean.” Cody nodded slowly, clearly thinking.

After a few moments though his hypnotic sapphires landed on Wade and his voice was low and serious, his lisp more pronounced because of his emotion but not making him any less understandable, “What I’m about ta tell ya is of the greatest secrecy and urgency. If I find that yeh’ve betrayed any of us then I’m gonan come an’ put a bullet between yer eyes an’ I’ll feed ya to coyotes.” Ted’s nose wrinkled and a shiver ran down his spine; this was the side of Cody that must run on instinct alone, the side that held guns on innocents as he cleared the cash register. And, despite the minor fear that he felt on Wade’s behalf he knew that Cody’d never harm him.

Though Wade wanted to scoff at the warning he could see the boy was serious and nodded. When Cody explained that John and Randy had an involvement (Ted looking terrified that Wade would freak out and call a mob on them, Evan also seeming a little uneasy though Chris was oddly calm) the bigger man merely nodded his head in understanding, the understanding them morphing into righteous disgust when Cody told him of the current blackmail that the pseudo-mayor had on the pair, “—so basically John’s gotta do everythin’ that Shawn says. He’s doin’ it, but only t’keep an eye on Randy and buy us some more time t’get stuff together fer ‘is trial to happen.”

Scrubbing a hand over his eyes Wade exhaled a heavy sigh and looked down at Chris. For several long minutes no one spoke (the silence even more pronounced when Gail came in momentarily to take away the used dishes Chris had) before Wade then looked down to Chris again, “I blame you for this, Jericho—you musta pissed fate off when you claimed that life was geddin boring around here.” The words broke the tension somewhat as a collective laugh sounded, but all of them knew their current situation was far from funny and that they had best be keeping their wits about them. Just because Chris was out of the woods didn’t mean that they were in the clear yet.

~:~

As the door swung shut behind Morrison, Mike sighed and pressed the heel of his palm to his temple and sighed somewhat; a major break though this was he knew that bringing a child to the stands was a risky thing indeed, and in this case it was also somewhat even more risky because the child had a relationship with Randy. Though he only knew the man as a friend of his mother’s he still knew him and therefore anyone with even a weak legal mind could try and turn the situation around in some manner, like for example that Andy was helping out his mother’s ex-lover or something stupid like that. Leaning back in his chair somewhat Mike realised that Cole was looking at him and the older man had that expression on his face that meant he was waiting for Mike’s attention before he asked something.

“Taking the information you were just given and putting it on a backburner—“Mike had to fight the urge to roll his eyes because as much as he liked Cole the man could irritate him something fierce when he had to approach a topic in a very round-about and over-elaborated way, “—what’re ya going to do about your case?” The younger partner’s lips pursed together, his mind quickly working through the next steps he had available to him.

“Well,” he started after a few moments, “Since I didn’ really get a chance t’talk to Maria last night I guess I’m gonna go see her today—take her down to the jailhouse, see if she is definitely sure Randy isn’t the man she saw.” The more eyewitness collaboration they had and the more evidence in their favour the stronger the case would be… and hopefully if they had enough undeniable proof then even Shawn’s crooked influence wouldn’t be able to place Randy as the culprit. Nodding his dark head Cole then pulled his reading spectacles out of his pocket and placed them on before waving a hand in a manner that told Mike that he was dismissed. Mike hated when he did that.

Picking himself up from his seat Mike dusted himself down and collected his notebook and tucked it into his small hand-held bag and then bid his partner goodbye before heading out towards the Ziggler’s home. Considering what the time was Mike knew that there was every chance Dolph wouldn’t be there (and that he’d be receiving an earful from the man when he found out where Maria had accompanied him that day—if she hadn’t changed her mind overnight and become too scared of disoriented to agree to it) and so he quickened his stride; the sooner he could talk to Maria the sooner he could formulate some sort of interview for the Morrison boy. Mike did feel bad for the child because criminal proceedings were not pleasant even when you were an adult and understood that actions had consequences but what could you expect a child to understand about such matters? Shaking his head somewhat Mike sighed and undid the top button securing his shirt collar together.

Feeling as though he could breathe a little freer he soon reached his destination and the rapped on the door smartly with his knuckles. Hearing a feminine voice call from inside: “Who is it?” Mike had to assume that Dolph had had a serious talk with his young wife after everyone had left the night before. Hopefully they could get this situation all cleared up before too long and then they could put the unpleasantness behind them all and get on with their lives as the bad guys were behind bars and unable to do anyone harm ever again.

Clearing his throat, Mike called lightly, “It’s Mike Mizanin, Maria, I was wonderin’ if I can talk t’ya?”

The door opened a fraction and Maria peeked out for a few moments before then pushing the door open further once she was assured that it was indeed Mike. “Good mornin’,” she greeted with a sheepish smile and motioned that he should come in, “I’m sorry about all that, Dolph said I need to be careful and I—“

Mike waved a hand and gave a reassuring smile to the obviously flustered redhead, “It’s quite alright Maria; it’s good that y’are bein’ careful.”

Maria was already dressed and from the apron over her front Mike deduced that Dolph must have left not too long ago—which was probably for the best considering he would probably have put his foot down about Maria accompanying him. In the kitchen there was still warm toast in the rack and a pot of tea on the table. Maria cleared the plates and cutlery into the sink and then looked to Mike, “Would you like some breakfast Mike?” smiling at her consideration even in the light of such matters and her having no obligation to him Mike shook his head, “No thank you, Maria, I had something before I left home.” She flashed a quick smile and then resumed washing the dishes.

As she finished, dried her hands and removed her apron Mike broached the subject of her accompanying him to the jailhouse to identify whether the man being held in custody was the assailant or not. When Maria seemed to hesitate –not in her convictions, she assured Mike, but in being in the open about the matter, her safety obviously having been impressed upon her more seriously- Mike assured her that he would be there throughout the identification and then he would ensure that she was home safe afterwards she seemed to relent. Though he doubted the assailant would target Maria he was now suddenly realising how possible it was… he would definitely ensure that she got home safe.

Waiting as Maria got herself a shawl Mike then exited the house with her, watching as she locked up behind herself. Extending his arm courteously Mike offered a reassuring smile when Maria grasped his arm with an expression of thanks. The poor thing was doing really well in the face of everything and only someone with a stone heart could fault her for being frightened. People seemed to be more cautious that day walking around, though it irked him greatly to hear people commending the sheriff cum temporary mayor on such swift and decisive action. Shaking his head slightly the brunette led the way to the jailhouse and knocked on the door before pushing it open, going inside before gently drawing Maria with him. He found himself confronted with the sight of Alex and John Cena.

Alex’s expression of surprise turned into one of cold indifference when he realised Mike was the newcomer and he had to fight the urge to flinch in the face of such emotion. What had happened to their agreeing to be civil to one another? However, as soon as the expression was there it was gone and replaced with a much friendlier one—towards Maria predominantly, but Alex seemed careful to maintain the action when he addressed Mike. “Mrs Ziggler, Mr Mizanin, what can we do fer ya both today?” he wasn’t stupid or oblivious by any means it was just formality that he ask. It was a good job they hadn’t arrived five minutes sooner because Shawn would have still been there… and Alex had the feeling that he wouldn’t have just let Mike do what he wanted to do with his client.

“Miss Maria here wants t’see my client,” Mike said, wondering exactly who the broad-shouldered man sitting in the room with Riley was, “-to reassure both herself and I that he is not the man whom she saw in the aftermath of the attack on Mayor Jericho.”

Alex’s expression folded into one that seemed distinctly uneasy, “Yeh’re gonna have t’ask the Sheriff, Michael.”

Mike’s brow furrowed as he looked as the other man and quirked a brow, Alex nodding in the direction of the stranger—a man who seemed distinctly unhappy about being there. “Sheriff…?” he started and the brunette nodded before standing and moving around the table, hand extended and a small but more genuine smile on his face, “Sheriff Cena,” the name clicked then as the man whom Alex had been assisting to try and find evidence in Randy’s favour yesterday.

“Sheriff Cena—“he then paused as the man insisted they call him John, before he then continued, “-John, may Miss Maria have access to the man in custody?”

John nodded his head and offered an almost child-like smile when the dimples appeared, “Hello Miss. If you’ll step over here we can show ya ‘im…” Mike’s brow furrowed somewhat, something seeming odd about this sentiment to him. As Maria moved to the bars somewhat he asked, “Can’t you let him out?” and immediately John’s cheery expression darkened. “The current mayor,” his voice dripped with sarcasm, “Has insisted on keeping the cell keys on his own person.” Alex watched as Mike’s face took on the expression that denoted he was thinking, and hard, and found himself being rather glad that that action of Shawn’s didn’t sit well with others as much as it didn’t with him.

Maria had seemed very uneasy about John at first – who had ever heard of some out-of-towner being made Sheriff before? But she warmed to the man quickly enough and Mike had to respect that. He could usually charm people enough to get information, truth or whatever he needed, but this Cena fella seemed able to make everyone his best friend without even trying. In spite of the casual observations, his mind was working fast; there was something more than met the eye here and he was only seeing the fallout of it – Randy in jail, John as sheriff, they were side issues he was certain. He was filled with frustration that he didn’t know the rest, but he would find out. Somehow, he’d get to the bottom of what was going on.

“Randy,” said John, quite loudly. “Y’wanna step forward so the lady can get a good look atcha?”

Mike had seen John before and had been taken aback by how tall the man was and he had expected a similar reaction from Maria. He wasn’t disappointed. The woman tensed as Randy rose from the bench that was serving as his bed and Mike glanced at her face, seeing the not-quite-masked fear there as her eyes raked over the outlaw. Randy himself seemed pretty impassive, perhaps thinking that one glance at a man in bad circumstances might mean she couldn’t be sure, or identified him wrongly. He didn’t seem to be hopeful in any case.

After what seemed like a long time, Maria shook her head slowly. “That’s not him.”

“How sure are you Ma’am?” asked Mike, his tone conveying the importance of her surety.

“I know what I saw Mr Mizanin,” retorted Maria. “This man, he’s not quite as tall. The one I saw was ‘bout as tall as Mr Barrett that runs that saloon Dolph goes to sometimes. His skin was a touch darker, the nose was different and his jaw wasn’t quite so square. And the man I saw, he looked older. Quite a bit older, like maybe ten years or so.”

“He was quite a distance away and wearin’ a hat you said.”

Maria turned to Mike and scowled. “You don’t believe me? Y’think I’m hysterical or somethin’?”

“Not at all and I do believe you,” replied Mike calmly. “But you’re gonna be asked these questions and I wanna make sure you’re sure on the answers.”

Maria didn’t look wholly mollified. “I may have been some distance away and he might’ve been wearin’ a hat, but I got a good look at his face when he looked over at me. Every man I passed in the street today, I was lookin’ at ta see if it was him, I been rackin’ my brains thinkin’ if I saw him before. I know his face. And Chris ain’t just the mayor or my employer, he’s been good ta me and he’s a good man. If this was the man I saw, then I’d spit in his face and let ya lead him ta the rope. But he ain’t and I ain’t gonna say that he is.”

Mike’s smile was very genuine. “That’s good enough for me. Would you be willin’ to repeat that in court?”

Maria nodded, then turned her attention back to Randy, glancing at the cuffs around his wrists. “I told ya it wasn’t him. You gonna let him go?”

“It ain’t that simple ma’am,” John said quietly, but he actually seemed uplifted by Maria’s assertions and Mike gave him a sideways look. The new sheriff had some connection with the prisoner, he was certain of that much, but he couldn’t guess at what it might be. “Like I said, the actin’ mayor has the keys ta the cell and he’s adamant that Randy’s gonna be behind bars until his say-so.”

“Since when has the mayor had any say over the prisoners?” said Mike, turning his sharp blue eyes onto John. “Chris never got involved in that side o’ things ‘til the trial and Shawn shouldn’t be able to neither.”

“Shawn’s gonna be overseein’ me ‘til he’s certain I’m doin’ the job right,” John replied, but something in his eyes told Mike it wasn’t anything like that simple.

“In that case, I’m gonna go see the actin’ mayor myself and tell him this man’s not the one who did it,” said Maria determinedly.

A silent look passed between John and Mike that said it all; they may not know each other but they both knew that Shawn wouldn’t be in any hurry to release Randy. “Actually, since he’s already arrested Randy, then he won’t be lettin’ him free ‘til the trial,” John told her.

“And when’s that gonna be?”

Mike smirked a little, sensing that he might have a previously unsuspected ally. “Since you’re new in town, it might interest you to know that the sheriff always brought these matters to trial, nothin’ to do with the mayor.”

“He’s absolutely right,” Alex added, a little too quickly. “Chris never really got involved, just freed up some time ta oversee the case.”

John’s thoughtful look was too calculated to be anything but fake. “Well, a man’s right to a speedy trial’s written right there in the constitution of the country...”

Randy remained silent, but his eyes were fixed on John and when John stole a look at his lover, he could read the message in them loud and clear; you were plannin’ this all along.

“We’re askin’ for a trial by jury,” added Mike firmly. Typically Chris oversaw most trials and passed judgement, but he knew Randy didn’t trust Shawn and in all honesty, neither did he. And given the sheer amount of people who seemed to think Randy was innocent, he would have gone that way regardless of Shawn.

“That’s your right and the right o’ yer client,” said John, a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ll get right on arrangin’ it.”

Mike felt a thrill of victory coursing through him – this was going to be more than a trial he knew it, it was going to be a show. One that the whole town would go to and it would make his reputation. That was worth more than money to him. He was sure the triumph showed on his face and John looked like he might be about to break into a smile at any moment. Only Alex looked a little worried.

“Can I have a quick word Sheriff?” he said, drawing John aside while Mike said a few words to Randy, probably about the trial and what he was planning. “Do you realise that it’s usually Shawn who puts together the case on prisoners? He’s the one who gets ‘em found guilty and that’s gonna be your job too!”

John paused a moment, then gave Alex a serious look. “I’m not the one who arrested him, Shawn did and I’m new to the job. I don’t think he’ll trust me ta make sure Randy goes down. And since he ain’t gonna be presidin’ over the trial, then seems like he’ll be free ta be doin’ that part himself.”

Alex didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know that you’re gonna get away with it John. Shawn’s gotta realise that yer sure Randy’ll get off.”

“I don’t think he’ll risk lettin’ me make a hash of keepin’ Randy locked up.”

“You’d better be real sure ‘bout this whole thing.”

John’s expression grew serious. “I ain’t real sure, but it’s the only plan I got. I can’t just sit on my ass and let this go on.”

“What the hell is goin’ on?”

“Nothin’ I can’t handle.” John frowned a moment, thinking. “Okay, Shawn wants me ta go to the James farm, ‘cept I don’t know where that is and I’d like someone else there ta – well, in case I need someone ta tell my side o’ things later on. You’re volunteered, but I need someone else who can keep an eye on things here. Someone trustworthy.” He didn’t say it was to keep an eye on Randy, even though it was – he didn’t think that Shawn would be pleased with his little plan for a moment and that was why he intended to get this particular unpleasantness out of the way first. It would make Shawn a lot less suspicious if he at least seemed to be going along with things.

“Well, we got another deputy who was on last night, Noble.” Alex looked slightly disdainful. “Not real reliable. Wasn’t even dressed right when I come in this mornin’.”

“Yeah, I heard someone stole his clothes,” said John, completely deadpan. “Anyone else?”

“Well, there’s never been need fer more than the three of us,” Alex said thoughtfully. “But y’know the gunsmith Lawler? He used ta help out the old Sheriff on occasion, before Chris was the mayor, or so I heard. He goes on ‘bout it sometimes. He’s old, but he’s tough and most folks ‘round here trust him pretty well.”

“Do you?”

Alex was rather surprised and more than a little flattered to be asked his personal opinion. “Yes sir, I do. He’s been known ta stand up ta Shawn on occasion on some issue he didn’t agree with and if y’ask him not ta let yer boy outta his sight, then he won’t take his eyes offa Randy fer a minute.”

He almost had a heart attack when he realised he’d described Randy as John’s ‘boy’, but John didn’t seem to notice. “Can ya see Miss Maria home and then go ask him? He might say no, he’ll hafta close up his shop for a while—“

“He won’t mind, there ain’t no competition and Jerry can smell gossip brewin’ a mile away.” Alex smirked a little. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be.”

In fact it took him almost an hour to get Maria home, Mike offering to accompany her and then not doing so that he could talk things through with Randy. Alex had no idea if John was present, it didn’t seem likely but given how the two were it wouldn’t have surprised him either. As he had suspected Jerry was only too happy to keep an eye on Randy and even offered some news that took Alex by surprise; he had been part of the posse that Chris had gathered two years before and had spoken with Randy, although he couldn’t say that he knew him exactly.

“Would ya think him capable of attackin’ the mayor?” asked Alex, a little tentatively since he probably shouldn’t be questioning it.

“Who knows what a man’s capable of?” Jerry kept his voice low and amicable as they went up the street to the jail house. “If he got mad enough then yeah, I think he would. Man’s merciless when he needs ta be. But I wouldn’t have ever thought it’d be a sneak attack like the one Jim said. But then, I don’t know the man. An impression is only that.”

Alex nodded, having got the same impression but with a lot more to work on to form his opinion. When they got into the jail house, they found that Randy was sat on the bed again, Mike outside the cell with the sheriff’s seat pulled up to the bars. Mike was explaining how the process would go, where Randy would sit and that he could expect to be cuffed the entire time. John was leaning against his desk, his expression becoming milder as he saw Alex and Jerry coming in.

He introduced himself to Jerry, thanked him for his assistance and told him he wasn’t expecting to be much longer than an hour. “Alex’ll be the one comin’ back, since I gotta make a report ta the new mayor,” he added dryly. Randy’s eyes narrowed noticeably and Alex went to the back of the room to pour himself a glass of water, deep in thought. He didn’t like what he’d been told about their orders to make sure Miss James quit her land and he knew damned well that Chris hadn’t bothered to throw her out. That Shawn was taking the first opportunity to do so bothered him.

Mike noticed that they were leaving and rose. “I’ll be back to see you before the end of the day Randy,” he said pleasantly. “But you should be a free man once this trial’s over.”

Jerry snorted slightly but Mike ignored him totally, exiting and waiting a moment at the front of the jail house. He wasn’t disappointed; it was barely five minutes before John and Alex came outside as well. John raised his eyebrows. “Yer still here.”

“Sheriff.” Mike squared up to the man, realising just how much broader the other was and a traitorous part of his mind wondering if Alex had noticed – he and John seemed to get on pretty well. But he couldn’t let himself think that way. He’d laid it on the line for the other, told him how he wanted them to be friends and even that it wasn’t what had happened that night that he regretted but how it had affected things between them and Alex still remained aloof. Not that while they worked was really the best place to smooth over old hurts he supposed. “Does your business on the James farm have anything to do with Randy’s case?”

“No.”

Well, that was what John’s mouth said, but Mike wasn’t convinced by the alternate message on his face. At the very least, John found whatever he was doing distasteful. Mike raised his eyebrows. “Anythin’ to do with what happened ta Chris?”

John’s eyes narrowed and Mike knew he’d hit the mark. “I ain’t at liberty ta discuss it. Excuse us Mr Mizanin.”

Mike stepped aside so that the two could pass, but although John resolutely didn’t look at him, Alex did, meeting his eyes with his own confusion clear. And to Mike’s surprise, he gave the lawyer a half-smile and a slight nod before the pair headed off. Wondering what the hell all that was about, Mike went back in the direction of his office, deep in thought. It had seemed to him that John wanted Randy to get off, but he was very cagy about whatever was going on at the farm which should have made him think it was something unrelated. Yet he knew it had something to do with Chris, his wild guess had been on the mark. It had seemed odd to him that John’s first business as Sheriff was to do with a lady who’d had no problems with the law before.

But if Mickie and Chris had some kind of connection...

He walked into his office and knocked at the door to Cole’s room before letting himself in. The man was busy with some documents and looked annoyed to be disturbed. “What is it Mike?”

“Do we hold details of Chris Jericho’s legal dealin’s?”

“Of course,” said Michael, a little arrogantly. “I dealt with all of those and trust me, there’s some complicated stuff in there.”

“I need to see them.”

“Well, we’re entitled to look at them.” Michael regarded Mike curiously. “But why? I hope you remember that your job’s to get this man off the charge, not to go on some crusade to find the guilty party.”

“Call it personal curiosity then,” said Mike, although he knew that if he could find something in those documents to implicate anyone else, it would strengthen his case. Whether he’d turn the information over to John or keep it to himself until the trial for an extra show of dramatics... well, he’d decide that when and if he found anything interesting.

He discovered that Chris’ legal dealings were largely straightforward, if a little baffling – his will left most of his personal assets to a man named Evan Bourne who Mike didn’t recall ever hearing of before, provided he showed up to claim it within five years of Chris’ death. Mike didn’t see why he wouldn’t the moment he heard of the mayor’s demise. The will was dated around a year previously and the only other people mentioned in it were Wade Barrett and Mickie James. And in spite of the curiosity of the strange name mentioned, Mike found their involvement in Chris’ affairs far more interesting.

He locked the documents up again and strode out again, this time intent on going to see Mickie James. There was a lot more going on here than met the eye, but he thought he might have worked out just why John would be ejecting Mickie from the farm should Chris actually die – and wondered if the new sheriff knew that Chris had already found a solution to the problem.


	30. Twenty-Nine: Hiding In Plain Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn visits Chris whilst he's 'still in the woods' regarding his condition and John meets Mickie James. Melina visits Randy and the Viper speculates on Alex's potential.

Wade had planned on simply heading back to the bar now that he knew that Chris was okay, eager to play his own part in the plan for his safety – namely, letting a few choice people overhear that Chris’ prognosis was grim. But he changed his mind in a big hurry when he opened the front door to the doctor’s office and glanced down the street; Sheriff – or was that mayor? – Michaels was nearby, talking genially to a young lady who had apparently stopped him as he went about his business. She seemed to be brimming with compliments but Wade barely noticed, there was a good chance that the doctor’s office was Shawn’s ultimate destination. And it would never do for anyone to find Chris in decent health.

He backed up and closed the door, giving Jim a rather urgent look since the doctor seemed taken aback by his sudden re-entry and indicating that they should go to the back room, where Chris was convalescing. The three men who had remained with Chris looked startled when he came back, Evan with a mouthful of food while Ted seemed to be in the middle of some story. And so he had been, describing rather shyly to Chris who he was and how he came to be in town. It didn’t seem right to continue to lie about his name and his reasons when they all needed to keep straight in their heads what was the truth and what was not.

“Shawn’s headin’ by to pay you a visit,” Wade said bluntly.

“Fuck.” Chris glanced at the door and saw the doctor’s assistant standing with Jim. “’Scuse mey language Miss Gail. What’re we gonna do?”

“I hardly think the sheriff and actin’ mayor’s gonna spill your little secret,” Jim said.

“Best not ta take a chance,” said Evan hurriedly. “Wouldn’t wanna ask a man o’ the law ta lie after all. Wade, you sit here and make like you were visitin’. Cody, Ted, backdoor.”

Cody ushered the doctor from the room as he went, confusing the already indignant man further, reading Evan’s mind. As soon as there was only Chris, Evan and Wade in the room, Evan took a wild glance around. There wasn’t much in the stark area that would serve as cover, but there was a small table in the corner with water, a bowl and a cloth on, presumably to dampen Chris’ brow should he need it. More importantly, it had been covered by a cloth. Thankful for once of his smaller height, Evan managed to squeeze himself behind it, covered by both that and the shadows in the shaded room.

“You cosy there Ev?” asked Chris teasingly, although there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice.

“Just lie there’n play dead, ol’ man,” replied Evan.

Wade shoved one of the chairs into the corner to better hide Evan, although he didn’t think it would stand up to close scrutiny, then pulled the other into the middle of the room and sat himself in it. Chris grinned at him like all of this was high adventure, but he would be lying if he’d said he wasn’t nervous. Evan might be seen and Shawn did not have his best interests at heart. Lying on the bed, he adjusted the covers and closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing and hoping that his pounding heart didn’t give him away.

It seemed like an age before Jim opened the room and allowed Shawn into it – Gail might be good at keeping most people out but Shawn wasn’t most people. “He’s still outta it Mr Mayor,” he said politely and Chris almost blew the whole game by curling his lip and clenching his fists at the title given to the other. He might not have always been happy with his role, but he had always done his best not to abuse the power he had. He didn’t expect the same from Shawn.

“Barrett.” Shawn’s gravelly tones told Chris that the man was in the room but he didn’t dare open his eyes. “A li’l privacy while I visit with Mr Jericho?”

No honorific, Chris noticed as Wade stood without a word and strode from the room. A moment later the chair made a scraping noise as Shawn presumably sat in it and Chris felt the man’s eyes boring into him. He kept up the charade as best as he could.

“Didn’t mean fer you ta get hurt Chris,” said Shawn suddenly and Chris almost jumped – he hadn’t expected Shawn to do more than check on his condition, satisfy himself that Chris was still unconscious and leave.

“Wasn’t somethin’ I was expectin’, but y’just wouldn’t cooperate and so y’had ta know somethin’ like this was comin’ yer way. Still... I kinda hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But y’brought it on yerself. And fer what, some woman? Some farm?” Shawn sighed. “Should’ve just forgotten honour and taken the money. Hope ya wake up, I really do. But not yet. And not all the way. It’d be better fer all of us if ya just stood down and let me take things from here. Less folk gonna get hurt that way and y’were bound ta lose in the end.”

He sighed again and stood up. “Between you an’ me, this whole game’s gettin’ ta me,” he added. “But the payoff’s gonna be worth it in the end. Shame ya didn’t want in.”

He walked rather slowly out of the door, hat in hand as he went back into the main office. “What’s his chances Jim?”

Jim looked torn between lying and truth but Gail leapt in immediately and Wade, still standing there, blessed her for it. “It does not look good for him. The longer he sleeps the less chance he wakes up – and his signs are getting worse.” She sighed, rather over-dramatically and Wade had an inkling that she was secretly enjoying this.

Shawn nodded gravely. “A terrible loss to us all. I’ll pray tonight that he does wake and be just as good as new.”

Wade hoped his disbelief didn’t show and it didn’t seem to, since Shawn merely replaced his hat and bid them all farewell. The moment he left, Wade went back into Chris’ room and found Chris still lying still, Evan nowhere in sight. It was rather amazing; he knew where Evan was and yet he really saw no sign. He’d hate for the man to be a sneak thief and target his property.

“He’s gone.”

Chris opened his eyes and Wade was a little relieved, given all the time Chris had spent with his eyes closed of late, he didn’t want to see much more of it. The small table wobbled rather alarmingly and Evan emerged, eyes dark with worry.

“You hear all that?” he asked Chris, taking little notice of Wade.

“He was talkin’ ta me Evvy and it ain’t nice ta eavesdrop.”

Evan didn’t seem too amused by the teasing. “He’s in alla this up ta his neck,” he stated. “But he ain’t king shit. That’s gotta be Helmsley, but we ain’t got nothin’ on him. And what’s the damned payoff? I just don’t get why alla this is worth it!”

“Maybe he’d tell us if we confronted him,” suggested Wade.

Chris shook his head, then winced slightly at the lingering pain. “Nah, I’ve known Shawn a long time. He’d bluff his way outta it, ‘less he really couldn’t. But after that yeah, he’d drag folk down with him.”

“Maybe includin’ John.” Evan scowled deeply. “Damn, we need ta do somethin’ and soon. We leave this goin’ on and we might get the answers too late ta change anythin’.”

~:~

Under other circumstances, John and Mickie James might have gotten along just fine. He admired her spirit and determination, if not her language when she heard the reason for his appearance. She was furious and feisty, if maybe a little scared and John didn’t want to make things any worse for her than he had to.

Not that she made it easy once they explained that Chris’ injury meant he had no control over his land and she was not entitled to stay. Her eyes flashed at him and John could easily see why Randy had been attracted to her rather than any other pretty girl in town willing to spend some time with him.

“I ain’t quittin’ the farm, so y’can go back and tell yer boss he wasted his time, sheriff.” The last word was spoken in a sneer, like a curse.

“I’m only the messenger Miss James and the law’s the law,” said Chris patiently.

“Yeah?” Mickie glared a hole through him. “Chris ain’t dead yet—“ Her eyes glimmered a moment with unshed tears and again John admired her toughness. “And while he’s alive, this place is still mine.”

“If he don’t get any better, then his affairs are gonna be dealt with accordin’ ta his wishes,” said John, almost gently. “The plan the new mayor has is ta sell off his property ta pay fer his care should he not get any better. And this is his property.”

“And maybe y’don’t know half of what yer think yer know.” Mickie gave him a look that suggested she’d just scraped him off her boot. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

John spread his hands in a gesture of peace. “I can’t force ya Miss James, this is just fair warnin’.”

She regarded him with suspicion. “Fair warnin’, shit. Go back and tell yer boss I ain’t movin’.”

“Mayor Michaels is only askin’ me ta remind ya of how the law works—“

“Him? He ain’t the boss and you know it. Tell Helmsley he ain’t gettin’ my farm and that’s the end o’ the story.”

Interesting. John noted the name and filed it away for future reference.

“Now git offa my property before I shoot me a trespasser.” She gave Riley a furious look, causing him to look at the floor with some shame. “Two of ‘em.”

“Ya can’t go ‘round threatenin’ us Miss James, it ain’t considered legal.”

“Fuck yer legal,” she retorted. “This is my place so get. Out.”

John nodded and decided to leave her be, having done what Shawn had asked – to a point. If the man ordered him to turn on around and go back to drag her off, he didn’t know what he’d do, but he was hoping he had a plan to counter that. He and Alex stepped away from the step and she slammed the door on them so hard that John thought he heard something inside fall and smash.

“Whoa,” he said.

“I warned ya,” said Alex. “Lady don’t take shit from no one. She don’t even go inta town all that often.”

“She knew about Chris though,” said John, almost to himself. “And she was worried enough. Worried ‘bout him. But more worried about leavin’ here unguarded.”

Alex gave him a sidelong look and went to untie their horses from where they’d left them, secretly rather admiring the beautiful animal that John owned, when he heard a curse coming from the path and paused. John had clearly heard it too and they went on foot to investigate.

Mike didn’t like or trust horses at all and so he avoided them where ever possible. When he was forced to ride, he sat stiff and awkward in the saddle, clinging to the reins for dear life, something that his contemporaries found amusing given that they had all grown up in town and everyone knew how to ride. The trip to the James farm could have been made in less time had he chosen to take a horse from the local dealer, who would let him have the slow, lazy creature he rented when he had no choice, but he decided that he’d walk. Hey, exercise was a good thing and it had nothing to do with his dislike of the big smelly creatures, their hooves and their teeth.

He was rather regretting it by the time he got to the farm though, he suit was dusty thanks to the barely-used roads leading there and as he moved to avoid a large pile of horse shit that some thoughtful person had left there, probably recently, he stood in something else instead. Examining his shoes, he growled in disgust. Oil, for gods sake. Miss James must have spilled plenty there and it wasn’t like the stuff was cheap. He would have thought she’d make more of an effort to gather up what she could, or dairy farming made more than he thought and she could afford to waste it. He hoped his shoes weren’t wrecked.

He heard someone approaching and looking up, he smiled a little as Alex headed his way – and the younger man didn’t seem all that surprised to see him. John was though and his brow creased as he approached. “Mike, what’s yer business here?”

“Confidential,” said Mike smoothly. “Y’didn’t think Randy was my only client now, did you?”

John’s frown deepened. “I ain’t in the mood for games.”

Mike’s smile only became more confident and smug as he indicated to his leather case. “Miss James has business with Cole and Mizanin,” he said formally. “Obviously she doesn’t own the farm, but is allowed to remain here according to the terms of her father’s will, while the actual owner ensures she doesn’t have to leave. I imagine she’s concerned given that the owner is currently incapacitated—“

“Because Chris owns this place?”

“Sure does,” said Mike cheerily. “And y’can just stop tryin’ ta force her offa it. Chris left provisions that if he’s no longer capable of runnin’ this place, then there’s someone else who takes over fer him and Miss James stays right where she is. All legal, all watertight. So I suggest ya stop harrassin’ my client.”

John stared at him for long moments and then much to Mike’s surprise, burst out laughing. It was so genuine and so long that Mike and Alex exchanged confused looks and bemused smiles. John finally gave up, but slowly and clearly not over his mirth. “That Chris,” he said with clear admiration. “He’s a wily bastard.”

~:~

As soon as he found himself alone with Jerry, Randy knew that the man was going to want to start asking him about what he had apparently done. He remembered the man vaguely from the last time they were there but that was only because they had had to stop by his shop at one point for a big munitions stock-up. That and the fact that he recalled seeing some similarly aged guy, with dark hair and a rather noticeable sense of self-importance, had been arguing with the arms-dealer and a man that he would later learn to be the good doctor, Jim Ross. Maybe he should float a tit-for-tat deal to Lawler; he’d at least have something to pass the time with even if he really didn’t give a rat’s-ass what had gone on between the three men.

Sure enough, as soon as he rolled his neck out and turned around after briefly relieving himself in the chamber-pot (and wasn’t he hoping that they unlocked him soon if only to allow him to empty that out) he found himself being met with Jerry’s striving-to-be-casual presence right outside of his cell-door. Much like Mike had done, he’d pulled the chair up close and had been waiting silently until he could garner Randy’s attention. “Can I help ya?”

Randy arched a brow at the man and Jerry nodded his head eagerly, “I reckon ya can. Well Randy, y’sure got yourself into a fine mess this time, didncha?”

Randy fought the urge to roll his eyes. Jerry was a good guy to have a laugh and a drink with he had been told but with the man prying into his business as he was Jerry was more than tempted to just tell the man to go fuck himself and leave him alone; it wasn’t as though he could go anywhere and he hardly needed a babysitter. But boredom could do funny things to a man and Randy was getting so bored and pseudo-claustrophobic that he was so close to climbing the walls… the cell might be high but it wasn’t /that/ high, and Randy vaguely wondered whether he would be able to touch the ceiling if he stood on the bench.

“Why didja do it, Randy?” Jerry asked suddenly and Randy pulled from his thoughts about wondering if he’d be released as to being a crazy bastard if he somehow managed to stand on his hands and remain there for when Shawn next made a visit.

Managing to turn a disbelieving snort into a cough (did Lawler think he’d seriously just admit to the situation even if he had done it? He’d be chancing signing his own death-warrant in usual circumstances, but in these the order’d be through before the proverbial ink dried) Randy then looked the man dead in the eye and said, “Why did I do what, Lawler?” though he had had no ill-will towards the man in the past he couldn’t deny that after the way Jerry had reacted when Mike’d said he’d be getting out soon he knew he seemed to have no ally in the man.

For the first time since he had arrived and had been obviously hankering for gossip the man’s face creased in a frown. Ha, if they wanted to treat him like the fool then he’d damn well act like it; Evan and Cody were always telling him that he could be an obstinate bastard when he wanted to be and he figured he’d exercise that right. Any comments he made about his own innocence would be immediately overlooked by Jerry he knew, and although Lawler didn’t especially strike him as malicious he had a feeling that anything he said which could be construed as an admission to guilt would be all over town by nightfall.

Before anything more could be said by Jerry the door to the jailhouse opened suddenly and Melina Morrison came striding into the room in all her furious glory. Randy had always admired Melina because, much like Mickie James, she didn’t take shit from anybody regardless of how big they thought they were. It’d been because of his respect for her that he’d actually respect her wedding vows… he’d be lying if he claimed to be completely without fault in a little extra-marital problems (for others) in the past. It amused him no end to see the way Jerry seemed to visibly quail in his seat for a moment before he then tried to give a warm and friendly smile on top of the jovial, “Hey Melina, how’s John and them boys of yours?”

Randy’s smile slipped as Melina’s expression changed. Usually when someone mentioned her children she seemed to glow with pride but this time around she looked torn between bursting into tears and going on a murderous rampage—please let him not be on the receiving end of that. Under other circumstances he would have been thinking that Mr Morrison was obviously on a tight rein under his wife, but right then he was more concerned as to why the woman seemed so upset—and why she happened to be visiting him in jail. Either John didn’t know about his wife’s intentions or he knew and was far from happy about it.

Locking her eyes on Jerry, Melina said, “I want to talk to Randy, Lawler, and I wanna do it alone.” The look on Jerry’s face said that he had absolutely no intention of letting that happen but Melina wasn’t having any of it. “This has nothin’ to do with you, Jerry Lawler, and if ya know what’s good fer ya you’ll high-tail it outta here and let me talk to him!” she barked and Randy could see why she was a schoolteacher; she could be sweet as pie but when the occasion called for it she was as tenacious as a bull. Eventually Jerry was cowed into submission to stand outside the door… not before Randy had gained a headache from the screaming though.

“Dammit woman,” Randy quipped lightly as he moved his cuffed hands up so he could pretend that he was tending to his ear, “If ya get any louder then they’re gonna be sending dogs after ya.” His joking immediately stemmed though when Melina took Jerry’s vacant chair, looking at him with those same serious eyes that she had had upon entering the room, “Melina, what’s happened?”

The dark haired woman shook her head, “I know it wasn’t you who attacked the mayor,” she said after a few moments and Randy’s brows rose as she added on, “And I know this for sure despite the supposed biased I’m meant to feel since you’re my friend.” Now he was most definitely curious as to where she was going with this.

The silence seemed to stretch out between them once more as Melina composed herself. “Andy was there after the Mayor was attacked. He saw the man who did it.”

Randy’s eyes widened and his cuff-chain rattled as his hands balled into fists; that kid had been potentially clueless and defenceless on his own with a potential psycho near him? “Is he alright?” Randy asked and Melina quirked the smallest of genuine smiles, obviously grateful for his query as she nodded.

“Yeah, he’s a tough little fella, I just… he’s pretty scared I think even though he doesn’t completely understand it. I don’ want him t’be scared and I want to make sure that we get the monster that’s still walking around free in our town.”

Frowning slightly to himself in thought Randy returned to sit on the bench that he had previously vacated. He recalled what Maria’s explanation had been and asked, “Had he told you what this guy looks like?” the woman’s eyes moved to the door (undoubtedly making sure Jerry wasn’t trying to sneak the door open to eavesdrop even though she ensured to keep her voice low regardless) before she nodded.

When she finished giving him what Andy had managed to notice Randy nodded his head slowly, resting his elbows on his thighs and his chin on his hands in thought. “Definitely the same guy then…” he murmured more to himself than Melina but she heard him anyway.

“What’s that?”

Randy wondered whether or not it would be a good idea to actually tell her but then supposed it would do no harm; she obviously implicitly trusted her child’s judgement and his innocence and he knew that she knew better than to go running around running her mouth off about everything. “Maria, Chris’ house-keeper, do you know her?” he asked.

Melina nodded immediately, “John and her husband are pretty good buddies and she’s been over for tea a few times. Nice girl,” she ended on. And pretty damn tenacious, Randy added to himself as an afterthought.

“Well, she saw the fella that did it as well an’ came in this morning to identify whether or not I was ‘im. I’m not, as you well know, but my lawyer tried t’make her change her story and slip up t’see how she’d do under pressure and she wasn’t wavering. Bar a few details which ain’t things children would notice they’ve described the same guy… and through uh, sources, I know for a fact that the guy in question who should be potentially swinging from a rope’s end is still in town. I swear to you Melina that nothing will happen to Andy, I promise. We’re gonna sort this all out an’ then things’ll go back how they were.”

Considering that he was the one currently behind bars and with the proverbial noose around his neck Melina thought it showed true depth of character that Randy was more concerned about everyone else than his own well-being. Little did she know that Randy’s lover was going to be around to some degree to keep an eye on him, and that others were already working to try and get him free of his false charges. “John spoke to Mizanin this mornin’, an’ told him,” Melina reported, “We don’ want Andy to have to testify,” she looked apologetic but Randy waved that off.

If he had children and they had been mixed up in something like this he didn’t doubt that he would probably be doing everything that he could to limit their involvement in exactly the same way that Melina and John seemed to be doing. “Don’ you worry about that. Thanks for comin’ t’tell me alla this.” Melina nodded, chewing on her bottom lip somewhat in obvious thought. The door opened again though before she could continue and Jerry walked back in looking determined.

Arching a brow at him in return and looking distinctly unimpressed Melina stood gracefully from her seated position as Jerry gave her the “I’ve-given-you-more-than-enough-time-so-with-all-due-respect-piss-off-before-you-get-into-bother” speech. Shaking her head at him Melina then nodded to Randy, “I’ll come an’ see you again soon, Ok?” before she then turned and left the jailhouse. Though he could have been imagining it, Jerry seemed distinctly put-out by the fact that Melina had been less than accommodating to him.

After that Jerry seemed contented to remain quiet, merely watching over things as he had been asked to do. With each minute that passed though Randy was anxious to know how John had gotten on with Michaels… he didn’t doubt the idiot would try something even there in the mayor’s office and he’d bet that they weren’t that private. If he tried anything then Randy was seriously going to follow-through on that threat he had made to remove Shawn’s cock and shove it up his own ass. Growling softly to himself Randy yanked uselessly at the chains that bound his hands. In the less-than-twenty-four hours that he’d had them on they had already begun to cut into his skin and chafe the tanned surface a painful, undeniable red colour. Funnily enough the last time he had had cuffs on before this had been much less painful and much more enjoyable. After what seemed like eons of time, but was maybe only an hour or two at most, the door creaked its warning creak once more and John stepped back into the room with that young deputy Riley.

The kid seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and Randy hadn’t missed the way that his lover seemed to have taken a shine to him on some level. If he helped them out the right way in this then the kid would forever have the Viper’s respect and assurance that if he needed a favour he could call on him for it. Randy rewarded people who deserved it, keeping as close a tabs on those people as those who had crossed him in the past. John caught his eye and then looked on to Jerry.

Giving that same warm smile, but noticeably lacking the warmth in his eyes to match it, Randy noticed, John then moved and clapped Jerry on the shoulder smartly. The man was smiling but even Riley had to muffle a chuckle at the way his body jerked underneath John’s strong hand, “Thanks very much fer ya help, Mr Lawler. Lemme give ya somethin’ as a thank you—“

Jerry immediately waved him off, “No need, sheriff, no need!” he said with a surprising amount of haste.

Arching a brow slightly but still keeping his smile in place John nodded his head, “Alright, if you insist.” He still handed him a small amount of coins though, “Then have a drink on me, Ok?” Jerry nodded his head, shooting Randy a quick look before heading out of the jailhouse as he shook Riley’s hand quickly on the way out. Amusedly, John turned his attention towards his lover and cocked his head to one side, “Randy, what didja do to him?” there was laughter in his tone but it seemed off.

Giving Riley a look out the corner of his eye, Randy silently tried to then communiqué with his lover that he wanted to be able to talk freely with him but that he obviously didn’t think that he could do so considering that the young man was there. It was one thing if he was helping John and had seemed to suss about them beforehand but it was another for him to let his guard down around the other… especially to be as free as he wanted to be in his expression. John nodded his head slightly to Randy and moved closer to the bars, Riley looking away.

The young man busied himself with papers at his desk, making an unnecessary amount of noise. John couldn’t keep sending him out only because it wasn’t fair to him and also because it was going to start looking incredibly suspicious if he was leaving the place for about five or ten minutes just standing there before going back in and repeating the process again an hour later etc. and so he was contented that they would just need to keep quiet. Using his broad build to his advantage John shifted so that he was blocking a good deal of Randy and his own front from view before he then reached through the bars and took Randy’s hands in his own. Concern clouded his eyes as he saw the state of Randy’s wrists.

Taking the other’s focus from his wrists Randy asked softly, “What happened? Tell me everythin’.” He needed to be kept as up to speed as they could possibly manage. So badly did he want to lean into those bars and kiss Randy the way he had earlier, but John was forced to contain himself. Later, later when he manned the cells on his own then he’d kiss the other all night long. It already felt as though it had been years since he had been able to hold the other properly. Sighing, John shook his head somewhat. And then, for the first time since his arrival a slightly more believable smile appeared upon his face. Randy tilted his head, “What’s that look for?”

“I can see why ya took that Mickie t’yer bed,” John returned quietly and Randy swore he felt his ears growing hot, sheepishly looking downwards for a moment before the comment really registered with him and then his brow furrowed.

“How d’ya know who Mickie is?” John looked to his lover’s eyes and then began to quietly and quickly recount his meeting with the spit-fire farm-woman.


	31. Chapter Thirty: A Back-Up Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike let's Mickie know of Chris' contingency plan regarding her family farm and offers her an extra protection incentive. John imparts unwelcome news to Shawn and Ted let's Cody know he's in it for the long-haul.

Since their banishment from the doctor’s office Ted and Cody had rather found themselves at a loss; they both had reasons to keep their heads down and their noses clean (not that Ted’s was even dirty Cody thought to himself privately) due to their connections with John and Randy, and Evan and furthermore by proxy of that Chris. One wrong move and they would probably find themselves occupying a cell by Randy whether John wanted to arrest them or not. “Where shall we go?” Ted asked Cody after a few minutes of them both just wandering aimlessly through some of the back-streets in town. The place was surprisingly empty for daytime, and the attack on Chris had to be the cause of it. Ironic considering the perpetrator was supposedly in jail.

“I don’ know,” Cody admitted, “Ain’t like there’s that much we can do in town,” and he didn’t really want to start heading outside the town’s limits in case his friends needed him for some reason. Running a hand through his hair after removing his hat Cody then replaced it before sighing, a scowl seeming to be continually marring his handsome face recently. He didn’t like the way this was going. He didn’t like the fact that Randy was incarcerated and that John was essentially being blackmailed with his well-being to be Shawn’s bitch and do as he wanted, and he didn’t like that they had no proof that Helmsley had anything to do with it.

If it ever occurred to Shawn to grass the man up then chances were some people might believe them (what with Hunter seemingly being unpopular with the public and all) but there was also the chance that no one would because they were too scared of the potential repercussions that may befall them if they did. Feeling a hand resting on his shoulder lightly Cody turned and quirked a small smile to Ted; the other looked so adorable being all concerned like that that Cody just wanted to grab him and kiss him senseless.

“You sure you’re doing alright?” Ted asked concernedly and Cody knew that the obvious question was not as stupid as one might think at first blush.

“Well, I’m doin’ better,” Cody responded honestly after a moment’s thought. Not only had he and Ted managed to patch up the situation over Layla’s running-her-mouth it seemed, but now that Chris was awake he didn’t have to worry about Evan’s wellbeing on that level as much as he had been when Chris was out of it. The sooner they got Randy outta that damn cell the better. Although… when that happened it meant he’d be leaving Ted. And that wasn’t something he wanted to rush.

Actually, the thought made him pause. What if he and Randy had to light out of the town as soon as they were able, with or without Evan, and Ted was left behind? And John, of course. He didn’t think that Ted couldn’t look after himself but he wasn’t as big or gun-savvy as John, and he was definitely wet behind the ears when it came to the real world—something that he had known even before they had ended up in bed together. “Teddy…” he looked to the blonde and then caught his hand swiftly, pulling him down the same blind-alley the night of that street party the town had had and he’d gotten to kiss those sweet lips and touch that beautiful cock Ted possessed.

Stumbling slightly from the sudden wrong-footing he felt from being pulled aside by Cody the way that he had been, Ted hastily righted himself, looking down the inch or two that separated he and Cody in height. “What’s wrong?” he asked the other concernedly. Though he didn’t think anyone would have seen them go down the side alley he was conscious of them being caught alone together in such an obviously secretive manner but he wasn’t concerned for his own sake.

Shawn already had John’s strings in-hand (even if his grip wasn’t maybe as tight as he had been hoping for) due to the leverage that he currently held over Randy and he didn’t want that situation somehow reversing around to them and to have Cody being manipulated for his safety or the secrecy of their… whatever they had together. He didn’t know if refusing to give it a label would make it easier when they separated.

“Ted,” Cody’s face was more serious than he had ever seen it and his eyes were alight with that same passionate, terrified fire that he had seen both when he had awoken from that nightmare and also when he had heard that Randy was the one being prosecuted as Chris’ attacker. The sheer power clouding the hues had Ted’s breath catching somewhat in awe and he stared helplessly back into them, aware that he probably looked essentially brain-dead and gormless. Even though his focus was really on Cody’s face he could hear what the other was saying to him despite the fact that it sounded as though Cody was attempting to hold a conversation with him with a great distance separating them. It occurred to him that he should try harder to focus.

“—an’ I don’ want ya t’be left here at the mercy of those bastards. If somethin’ happens t’me, or t’Evan an’ Randy, heck, even John, I want ya outta here before ya can say ‘giddyap’, ya understand me? I don’ want you lingerin’ for anyone’s sake.”

Ted’s eyes widened, mouth opening slightly in shock. Was Cody seriously suggesting that he should run like a coward? Did the other really think he could be so unscrupulous as to leave the people who had come to mean a lot to him (in different ways) behind without looking back? Anger started to well in him and his full lips pressed together in a tight line, waiting for Cody to notice.

When the silence became so pregnant that even Cody realised his voice, though quiet, was all but echoing between them his lips seemed to come to a halt and no more words were spoken. “Ted?” his brow furrowed somewhat and he cocked his head, “What’s wrong?” finding himself on the receiving end of a hard kiss after making such a query was not something that he had expected, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thoroughly enjoying it even through the confusion he was feeling too.

So dazed was he from the hard, passionate kiss, Cody almost missed the low, firm words Ted was speaking to him; the manner he was using reminded him of the way Ted had been acting in the lawyers’ office and it turned him on something fierce. “I ain’t leaving you. I don’t care what happens but I am not going to leave you, or them, and if you ask me to do something like that again…”

For a moment it seemed as though Ted didn’t know how he was to finish his thought, but then he spluttered out, “-then I’ll never kiss you again!” it was pathetic, yes, but it seemed to catch Cody’s attention because the other’s smile slid and his eyes widened somewhat. “Wait, come on Teddy, ya don’ mean that—I’m jus’ thinkin’ o’ your safety!”

The serious look in Ted’s eyes made Cody stop somewhat in his protests. “Do you really think that I care about my safety when there’s the chance that something could happen to you? Or to your friends, heck even to John?” and, truth be told John was probably the first real friend that he had had in his entire existence.

~:~

Though Mike knew his reaction could give away more than he could realistically afford to do he couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, you’re not mad about it?” John looked more amused than ever before, the dimples of full-display and Mike and Alex were both respectively blinded by the sheer force of John’s boyish smile.

“I ain’t mad about it a’ all,” John said airily, “I came here t’do what I was tol’ t’do, though t’be fair it ain’t got nothin’ t’do with me,” on that note he flicked the reins of his horse and then patted the side of his neck, “C’mon Hustle.” He had to get back into town to go and report to Shawn that they intended to have Randy’s trial as soon as they could fix it. Shawn was likely to throw the mother of all bitch-fits when John came out with this but the brunette didn’t care. In truth, now, he had /no idea/ where his limits were with regards to saving Randy.

Even though Shawn disgusted him he had a feeling that he’d get down on his knees for the man if it would secure him Randy’s freedom. Though such thoughts unnerved him on multiple levels he knew he couldn’t deny the sentiment even to himself no matter how much he might pretend to. “Y’comin’ Riley?” he addressed ‘his’ deputy and for a moment the younger man seemed to dither before he then nodded.

“Yeah, I’m-a comin’.” Sending Mike a small, but genuine and still vaguely bemused smile Alex was soon riding in the general direction back to town.

“See ya Mr Lawyer,” John called back jovially and Mike found himself staring after both men until they had vanished out of sight. “The heck was that about?” he mumbled to himself.

Turning on his heel (and mentally grimacing as he recalled the state of his poor shoes) Mike then made his way to Mickie’s front door and knocked. He didn’t know Mickie too well he’d be honest; she kept to herself more often than not and she was older than him, but he had a great deal of respect for her indeed—there weren’t many independent women around anymore and it was quite sad when you saw the way certain ones in town had been cowed by their husbands. If he was so inclined to find a wife he’d never treat her that way.

As the door opened his charming smile was in place—but it immediately slid down when he realised he was staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Fear flooding him, Mike’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Whatever sound, or plea, he had been about to embarrass himself with though was cut-off when Mickie seemed to take stock of who was standing there. “Oh, Mike!” she immediately lowered the gun and her face smoothed out, acting as casually as though she had not just had a loaded, dangerous weapon aimed between his eyes.

“Come on in, lovey don’ be shy now!” she said cheerily as she made her way back inside, Mike still frozen in place on the doorstep, “My house is always open t’yeh, ya know that hun.” When she realised he hadn’t followed an amused smile curled her lips, “Ya comin’ in or standin’ there?” realising that Mickie had noticed that he had been about three seconds away from pissing himself in fear that he shook himself and broke from his stupor, “Oh, uh, yeah sure, I just—“

Mickie cocked her head to one side, “Jus’ what?” she prompted lightly and Mike looked sheepish.

“I jus’ kinda stood in some oil or somethin’ out there—“and he had been raised with better manners than walking through a house in muddy shoes, but it was more likely the fact that his arms were suddenly filled with the phantom aches of a childhood spent scrubbing the floors he had mucked up until the life-lesson sunk in and he knew to be much more careful.

However, Mickie merely waved a hand, “Don’ you worry about that, come through.” She had pretty old flooring anyway and she knew a few tricks that many wives would kill for when it came to handling touch stains on substances or surfaces. “Can I getcha somethin’ t’drink or anythin’ Mike?” she then asked him.

“No thank you, Mickie,” the way her hands were shaking slightly highlighted the lingering rage and potential fear she must have been feeling concerning having John and Alex there. Somehow it didn’t strike him as right that Alex and John would be muscling in on a woman, but from the reaction that John had had at least maybe it wasn’t as clear-cut as they might think. “I jus’ came by actually t’talk t’yeh about your land.”

The kettle clanged with more force than was strictly necessary onto the stove and Mike knew that he must have struck a chord with her. “It seems t’be a runnin’ topic around lately,” she muttered with obvious upset.

Immediately he deemed it appropriate to allay her fears, “I’ve already told the current standing sheriff and his deputy that they ain’t gonna have no way of getting you land, Mickie, so don’t you worry. Chris took over propriety of this estate with yer father’s passing as ya know, technical active ownership being yours alone, and your future children’s.”

The brunette nodded, brow furrowed and her attention completely focused on him. “But Chris’ will was somethin’ I figured I’d best check due to the potential unfortunate outcome that may stem from his accident,” he said, over-elaborate but hopefully delicately, “-an’ jus’ because he’s outta commission at the moment doesn’t mean that you’re outta house and home… and I don’t jus’ mean it terms of ya bein’ stubborn as a bull and trainin’ loaded weapons on men when they come knockin’,” he teased and she blushed.

“So… how does this work then?” she asked, “They ain’t got no right t’legally get rid-o’ me?”

Mike’s smile grew and he shook his head before saying, “Nope, they ain’t got nothin’. Chris’ will states that if anythin’ happens to him then the ownership of this land will transfer to Mr Wade Barrett—“

Mickie’s brows rose in surprise, “The barkeep?”

Mike nodded in affirmation before continuing as he had been before Mickie had interrupted, “And he’s already signed to indicate that you still have the right to use and occupy this land as you see fit, with him occasionally comin’ by to check how things are goin’ an all.”

Mickie actually clapped her hands together, smiling, reminding Mike of a much younger woman, a teenager perhaps. “I shoulda known Chris would be lookin’ out fer me – him makin’ a will at all’s kinda strange, that man seems ta think he’s bulletproof and immortal, but I know he was doin’ it fer me an’ my peace.” She shook her head and sighed, the smile fading. “I wish I could go inta town and see him.”

“Well, why not?” asked Mike, who was feeling like some hero in a cheap novel after delivering the news that seemed to have put Mickie’s mind at ease. “He’s with Doc Ross right now, people with him ‘round the clock I hear but I’m sure they’ll clear out so’s you can have a little private time with him.”

She looked at Mike. “You been ta see him yet?”

“No ma’am—“ He caught Mickie’s slightly exasperated look. “Mickie. I ain’t. I know Chris but not all that well, most of his dealin’s were with Michael.”

Mickie pressed her lips together. “That’s unfortunate, I was hopin’ you could tell me how he’s doin’.”

“I can find out, send a message up here and let you know.” Mike’s voice was gentle. “Or you could go and see for yourself.”

Mickie gave a deep sigh and the youth that Mike had noticed previously seemed to morph into extreme weariness, making her look every year of her age. “I can’t. I can’t leave this place.”

“But no one can turf you off now—“

“Exactly.” Mickie ran her hands through her hair. “This is gonna sound selfish maybe, but I can’t help thinkin’ that what happened to Chris is somethin’ ta do with what’s been goin’ on around here. The constant attempts to get me outta here, all that stuff and now Chris bein’ hurt – and the new sheriff ‘round ta get me out soon as it happens. Once word gets out that I’ll be stayin’ regardless of what happens ta Chris, I think I might have an accident of my own.”

Mike went silent for a few minutes, thinking hard about it. “You might not know, but there’s some strangers in town. Three guys who were here a couple years back—“

“Randy, Cody and Evan.” Mickie waved her hand dismissively. “I know them. I also know that Randy had nothin’ ta do with what happened ta Chris and him bein’ locked up fer it’s an outrage.”

“As it happens, I agree. And I’ve been hired to make sure he doesn’t go to jail or get the rope over it. That’s kinda the odd part. Our new sheriff seems to know Randy pretty well. And he came into town with another man, a Mr Smith, who’s the one payin’ me to do it.”

Mickie raised her eyebrows. “Are they still talkin’ after that?”

“No idea, not my business. But I’ve not heard ‘bout them fallin’ out and Mr Smith came in with another man, Cody? One of Randy’s friends anyway.”

“Then John workin’ as sheriff makes no sense. It makes no sense he’d be tryin’ ta throw me outta here if he’s friendly with Randy anyway, since Randy wouldn’t want me gone.”

“I figured he might have taken it to keep an eye on Randy. But then outside...” Mike frowned slightly. “I told him ‘bout how you weren’t goin’ nowhere and the sheriff laughed himself into a hernia. Thought it was hilarious. I think there’s somethin’ else at work there.”

“Or someone.” Mickie looked very disturbed. “You’d better get Randy off Mike. Or else you’ll be answerin’ ta me.”

“I’ll be doin’ all I can.” Mike hesitated a moment, hoping he wasn’t about to be taken in the wrong way. “Mickie, if you’re worried about your safety and you really won’t leave the farm, then I think I should stay here and make sure everythin’s okay.”

Mickie looked amused. “I can take care of myself Mike.”

Mike gave her the grin that had charmed so many and engaged in his usual line of smooth patter, the kind that separated people from more of their cash than they had intended. “I know. But I’m in the middle of this too now. Keep it to yourself, but I’m hopin’ that you’ll be protectin’ me.”

Mickie laughed and nodded, Mike feeling relieved – he wouldn’t have felt right about leaving Mickie all alone on the somewhat remote farm if there was a chance she was in danger. “Fine, I got a spare room, yer more than welcome to it.”

Mike nodded, rather glad although he wasn’t sure just how much use he’d be to the woman if someone actually did try to injure her while he was there. Probably she’d break both their legs while he panicked. “I got business ta take care of in town but I’ll be back this evenin’. Don’t stick the gun in my face again, please?”

“I ain’t makin’ no promises,” Mickie said with a wink and Mike chuckled, leaving her and the kitchen. Truthfully, if anyone found out he was staying with the woman then people were going to talk, but for once he wasn’t interested in his reputation. The entire business with Chris had him uneasy and there was no way he could just let her stay the whole night alone. If something did happen, he’d never forgive himself.

~:~

Cody didn’t have a name for what was happening between himself and Ted but he didn’t think he could admire the man any more than he did in that moment. Of course he had known that Ted was unlikely to take off, regardless of what happened, but having it confirmed and seeing the look in Ted’s eyes as he did so – well, it did things to him and made him wish they were back in Ted’s room so that he could take full advantage of the thoughts going through his head.

“I just don’t want ya gettin’ hurt Teddy,” he said, because much as he admired the stand Ted was taking, he knew he would be worried if he had to run and Ted was still in Bone Orchard. Hell, he’d be worried enough about Evan being there. “If Shawn can blackmail John, he might be able ta do the same ta you.”

“I don’t think Wade’s about to share ‘bout how we’re stayin’ in the same room and that’s not proof of a thing anyway,” Ted retorted. “And I’m not useful to him the way John is. I don’t think he’d bother.”

“He might try somethin’ outta spite,” replied Cody, taking Ted’s hand since he was sure that no one could see them (and if they could, that kiss would have tipped them off far more than the hand-holding). “I can’t make ya go and t’be honest, I don’t want ya to – we don’t got enough time as it is. But if I gotta take off and things are still the same ‘round here –“ He frowned at the thought. “Then I need ya ta promise you’ll take care of yerself.”

“Nothin’s gonna happen to me Cody,” Ted assured him and Cody thought rather bleakly that Randy and John had probably thought the same things. But Ted had a point; what would Michaels and Helmsley want with Ted?

Unless they found out who he really was... and even then, he didn’t see how Ted’s riches would affect things. Ted had more money than Cody had ever dreamed of, even when he was living comfortably on his families cash, but it was mere pocket change when compared to what Hunter had.

“You don’t hafta worry ‘bout me,” Ted said earnestly and Cody didn’t want to disagree with him, but on this point Ted was wrong; regardless of what happened in bone Orchard, he was pretty sure he was going to think about Ted, worry about how he was doing, for the rest of his life.

Ted suddenly tugged on Cody’s hand, a determined look on his face. “Come on.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve been wanderin’ ‘roung town fer a couple hours, we haven’t seen anything of interest and I think it’s time we gave up tryin’ to find somethin’ to entertain us and start makin’ some entertainment of our own.” Noticing Cody’s slightly surprised look, Ted winked. “Like y’said, we don’t know how much time we got left. Randy’s trial could be tomorrow for all we know. Can’t go back and see Chris right away, can’t go to the jailhouse without rousin’ suspicion – might as well take some advantage of what time we do have.”

“Why Ted,” drawled Cody, although he was secretly delighted. “Just can’t keep yer hands offa me?” He smiled as Ted blushed, but the other man didn’t lose his smile or drop his hand and Cody nodded. “I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather do more.”

~:~

John recounted what had happened at Mickie’s house, including the part where Mike had also turned up and Randy listened avidly. He chuckled a little as John mentioned that Mickie was protected no matter what happened to Chris but his eyes were slightly troubled. “I tolja what Ev overheard ‘bout Mickie’s place, right?”

John nodded. “I was thinkin’ that might be somethin’ ta do with it. Only this new development makes things more awkward. I dunno how it’ll change what Hunter’s plannin’ or even if it will. All I know is I need ta go make a report to the new mayor.”

Randy’s eyes narrowed. “You watch yer ass John, I mean it. Don’t let yer guard down fer a minute and get outta there as soon as y’can. If you ain’t back here twenty minutes after y’walk through that door, I’m gonna throw the chamberpot at Riley an’ he can go runnin’ ta get yer back down here and make me stop.”

“Beshitted from head ta toe? Be quite a sight and I ain’t sure yer that good of an aim.” But John understood Randy’s point and nodded. “Be as quick as I can be,” he told the prisoner, stepping away from the bars. “And I’ll get somethin’ fer yer wrists as well.”

Looking over to where Riley was overly interested in some badly-written note from a townsperson complaining about rowdy neighbours, he raised his voice. “I’m goin’ ta see Michaels. Keep an eye on Randy – don’t go nowhere. Once I’m back, ya can go get somethin’ ta eat.”

Riley nodded and John was satisfied that the man wouldn’t go off somewhere – and he had enough to worry about without some ‘concerned citizen’ deciding to save them the cost of trial and rope and finishing Randy off himself. It had been a grave worry of his, ever since Shawn had intimated that Randy would be shot trying to escape.

The mayor’s office was in the municipal building in town, also the place where trials were held and where the night before, the meeting about Shawn taking over Chris’ position had been held. John stood outside a moment before going in, finding the place easily enough and letting himself in without knocking. The space was clearly Chris’, somewhat messy with books stuffed onto the shelves and news articles about the town and its people tacked to the walls. It was also apparent that Shawn was making himself at home – there was already a photograph of himself and his wife there, as if to remind everyone that he was a family man. John wasn’t entirely convinced that it made him trustworthy. The waste basket beside the desk was full and John was certain there was a maid to empty it daily, it seemed that already Shawn was getting busy.

The man himself was behind the desk, apparently having just been going through the drawers because when John entered, he closed it with a bang. “Knock in future,” Shawn said tersely.

John made no reply and Shawn shot him a somewhat irritated look that morphed into a grin. “Not talkin’ Cena? That’s fine. Y’wanna tell me how things’re goin’?”

“Fine,” said John shortly. “It’s all goin’ well. Randy’s still locked up. Riley’s helpin’ out. Had no problems with any crimes bein’ committed in the few hours since I took over.”

“And you went to the James farm?”

“Yeah. Miss James ain’t leavin’.”

Shawn raised his eyebrows. “Oh? I sent ya there ta get her out. No bleedin’ heart shit. Without Chris in the picture, Miss James ain’t got no legal right ta stay there. I’m gonna take care of all his business ‘til he’s feelin’ better.” Or dies, was the underlying subtext. John had an idea that if Shawn knew Chris was awake and talking, then he’d probably have a heart attack right there in the man’s office.

John fought back a smirk. “Turns out Chris made some provision in the case of him bein’ incapacitated. If there’s any reason he can’t take care of himself or make any decisions, there’s someone already chosen fer the job... on the condition he keeps the farm just as it is. Includin’ Miss James bein’ there.”

Shawn stared speechless for long seconds, then narrowed his eyes. “She tell ya that?”

“Nah. It was her lawyer.”

“Cole?”

“Mizanin. Checked over the paperwork this mornin’ and went ta tell Mickie the happy news hisself.”

Shawn shook his head slowly, rage filling his eyes. “Goddamn that man...”

“Seems like he was almost expectin’ somethin’ ta happen,” said John innocently.

“Don’t get ahead o’ yerself Cena.” Shawn let out a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll deal with it.”

“Speakin’ of lawyers, Mizanin was also at the jailhouse this mornin’ and he wants ta know when the trials gonna be. Randy’s got the right to one soon. He also says he’s gonna want a jury trial. That means we’d better start roundin’ some folks up.”

“What?” Shawn looked at John as if he was mad. “I ain’t lettin’ him have no trial, not yet, so y’can just get that idea right outta yer head!”

“Uh, I think ya hafta. It’s the law.”

Shawn rubbed a hand over his face. “Jury trial, what numbfuck gave him that idea? Dammit. Fine, first of the month.”

“That’s nearly three weeks away!”

“Cena.” Shawn levelled a gaze at John. “I really don’t care.”

“You can’t keep him in there ta get leverage on me,” said John in a low, angry voice. “I won’t let ya.”

“Oh? Somethin’ ya can do about it?”

“I can point out ta the good folk of Bone Orchard that the new mayor sure does like draggin’ his feet on this. Almost like he don’t want the man ta have a trial.”

Shawn almost growled. “Ya put me in a shitty mood Cena, ya’ve no idea.” He pouted for a moment, then suddenly grinned. “Course, there’s somethin’ ya can do ta make it all better – fer both of yer.”

John went cold. “No.”

“Really? Y’don’t know what I’m gonna suggest yet. Or are ya only a whore fer an outlaw?” Shawn’s grin became predatory. “You’ll change yer mind Cena, I guarantee it. Come tomorrow, you’ll be beggin’ ta get back in my good books.”

John narrowed his eyes at the implied threat but said nothing.

“Speakin’ of whores...” Shawn reopened the drawer that he’d closed when John walked in and pulled out a wad of money, tossing it casually on the desk. “That’s fer goin’ ta the James place today. Call it yer wages. And there’ll be a bonus if she’s gone fer tomorrow.”

“A bribe?” John had been expecting it but he was still shocked and it showed.

“Wages, like I said.” Shawn watched John narrowly and John suddenly realised that this was just another test; if he took the money then he was in up to his neck, as far in as Shawn and Hunter apparently were.

“I don’t want it.” John turned on his heel and made for the door. “When the Mayor turns up, I’m sure he’ll pay me what he thinks my time’s been worth.”

“I am the mayor John, so get used to it.” Shawn’s voice followed him as he went out of the door. “I’m gonna stay that way – and by tomorrow you’ll be more than just my sheriff. Don’t forget it!”

~:~

Back in the saloon, Wade was in somewhat better spirits than beforehand though in the back of his mind he was still bogged down with the weight of everything. Evan, that small fellow who had essentially cried over Chris when he had been injured, and then that morning when he had awoke, must be the one that was mentioned in his will. Wade had been around for the trouble those few years ago but he’d had very little to do with it.

“Wade, you look awful!” Eve came out from the kitchen doorway.

Wade quirked a small smirk at her before rolling his eyes with fond exasperation, “Thanks Eve; way to boost a bloke’s confidence up.”

The brunette flapped a hand at him and gave him that sisterly look of concern that she levelled at him more often than not. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

Wade did maintain to reassure her that he had had some sleep, enough, but she wasn’t altogether convinced. “Did you have any trouble?” he asked her as they made their way to his office and the curly haired brunette shook her head.

“No. Justin was real good at takin’ care of everythin’.” They had had some of the usual rowdiness with hands going where they shouldn’t, but the situations had been defused easily enough. “We closed up a bit earlier than normal though…” she admitted sheepishly but Wade merely nodded his head in understanding; that was probably a wise decision in retrospect.

“Oh, an’ a Mr Cole stopped by earlier t’drop of a letter fer ya,” she added as an afterthought as Wade stepped into his office, she pausing in her walk with him since she was technically meant to be serving on the floor at that moment, “I put it on yer desk.” Nodding and giving her his thanks Wade then pushed the door open—and was confronted by a very perky backside across the room. Justin, it seemed, had cleaned his entire office-cum-living-quaters from top to bottom.

The reason Justin’s bottom was legitimately in his focus was because the young man was currently dusting the floor, even underneath his desk, and Wade didn’t both with such places. He kept his things clean but he was one of those men who were more than happy to let the chores slide until things became unbearable. He cleared his throat lightly to get his attention, “Justin?”

There was a startled yelp and a painful thud, Wade wincing along with Justin as he carefully crawled backwards out from underneath his desk, “Oh, Wade, good afternoon—“he then seemed to pause as he realised that although he was allowed in the other’s office it’d probably seem very presumptious that he was cleaning them, and, well, he had cleaned Wade’s little kitchen area and his bedroom as well. Would he be angry? He hadn’t meant to invade his privacy or anything like that.

“I’m so sorry! I know I should have asked you whether I was permitted to be in here, but I thought that since you’ve had so much on your mind at the current time that I could help you out and take some of the weight of your other concerns away—“the young African stammered and Wade moved forward into his office and closed the door, placing a gentle hand over Justin’s mouth. His eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled and Justin felt a shiver run down his spine. Wade’s hand was even bigger than he had figured it’d be from looking at it.

“Justin, calm down, I ain’t gonna start shouting at ya or anythin’. This was real sweet of ya an’ I really appreciate how much you’ve done fer me since… the incident.” He would definitely ensure that Justin’s wages for that week reflected everything else that he had done on top of his regular duties.

“It’s no problem at all,” Justin hastened to assure once his mouth was released from the hold. Moving towards his desk Wade picked up the envelope that lay there; it was sealed over the flap by Cole and Mizanin’s seal, reassuring him that no one had happened to be sneaking peeks at his correspondence.

Watching as Wade opened the letter and unfolded it, eyes flickering over it, Justin could see that although the man was tired and showed visible signs of it there was a lightness about him that seemed to have appeared that morning upon his visit to Chris. The way things had been going Justin had feared that he would never see Wade smile again. Wade tucked the letter into his jacket pocket securely, the smile that had been curling the corner of his lips becoming stronger still. Things seem to be improving all-round, don’t they? he thought to himself.

Looking to Justin, Wade said, “You go on home an’ get some sleep Ok? I really owe you one Justin; if you ever need anything you come to me. An’ don’ worry, I’ll see ya get what ya deserve in your next wages.” Blushing heavily Justin tried to offer a weak protest that he hadn’t done what he had for extra reward but with those warm eyes levelled on him and the full force of Wade’s smile on him he found himself rather incapable of doing anything much at all.


	32. Chapter Thirty-One: Danger In A Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex arrives at the James' farm to offer his aid to the lady as John fills Randy in on what Shawn said about his proposal for a trial, and Dave Batista steps up his barrage.

Their trip back to Cody’s room (they figured they should enjoy the fact that their hotel was more out of the way than his and John’s) seemed to take a little time at all and yet ever step barely seemed to make progress for them. Upon entering the place they noticed the scattered gathering of the usual people that congregated there as opposed to anywhere else, all settled around and talking. Cody fought the urge to scowl; no prizes for guessing their current conversation topic.

Relieved when Cody didn’t lash out to some unsuspecting gossip Ted took the other’s hand in his for a few moments in a silent gesture of support as soon as they were out of people’s sight. The gentle action was ended quickly though, because there was always a chance someone could come out of their room on the landing and catch them.

As soon as the door opened to Cody’s room they were straight inside and Ted drew Cody into his embrace and took his lips in a kiss. Though he had been pretty steadfast and determined in his approach outside the small moment downstairs told him that Cody could do with something on a gentler level without being too ridiculous; tenderness would help the other, and the distraction would probably be welcome. Much as he wanted to tell himself that it was for Cody’s sake he knew his own selfishness was a driving-point, what with Cody’s words having alerted him to the fact that the situation they currently faced wasn’t as calm and in-control as they would like to think.

They remained twined together with Cody’s back against the door, merely enjoying the kiss that was currently taking place between them. Ted’s tongue made an eager exploration of Cody’s sweet mouth without leaving any part uncharted; teeth, gums, even his own tongue. Feeling rather like he was going to turn to mush in the kiss continued as it was Cody gently pushed his body forward into Ted’s to get the other to back up. Ted had obviously misunderstood the gesture because he pulled away from their kiss completely—though Cody was quick to draw him back.

In a tangle of arms and legs they made their way to the bed, clothing being miraculously shed in the meantime. Tumbling down onto the blankets Cody found himself underneath Ted and wasn’t the least bit ashamed to consider that he hadn’t the slightest bit of protest to offer about the situation. Running a hand down Ted’s chest above him, Cody’s lips traced over his neck and shoulders.

Perhaps an hour later the pair had finally gained momentary satisfaction with one another and as such were curled up atop the bed with the covers all rumpled and spilling off of the bed, their still perspiration-slickened flesh beginning to cool after their activities. Cody was lazily smoking a cigarette and although Ted wasn’t particularly fond of the habit he had to concede that he would put up with it if only because Cody seemed to indulge very sporadically. Ted’s head was resting on Cody’s chest, Cody’s arm draped around his shoulders, the outlaw blowing lethargic smoke-rings into the air now and again. The earlier disquiet Cody had felt had been most effectively silenced.

~:~

Anyone in town who by that time had come to recognise John (especially since Shawn’s announcing of him as the new mayor) kept well out of his way as he made his way back to the jailhouse; he was a man on a mission and he radiated such tension that people swore they could almost see it wafting off of him like a bad perfume from a tart’s boudoir. Losing some of the concept of his strength when he was angry, John accidentally had the jailhouse door smashing off the opposite wall as he opened it. Riley, who had been reading a paper, jumped several foot in surprise.

Managing a thin, painful smile, but with a genuine tone of voice, John said, “Why doncha’ go an’ get something t’eat, Riley? Thanks fer keepin’ an eye on things here.”

Slowly, folding the paper and eying John with what seemed to be a mix of weary concern, Alex nodded his head, “Alright, Sheriff. I’ll, uh, see ya in about an hour.” Usually he didn’t stay away that long, getting his lunch and then heading back to the jailhouse to eat. A sad existence it may seem but Alex maintained that he needn’t fuss about going home extra or anything, because it wasn’t as though he had anyone waiting for him.

“Take yer time,” John said with that same false cheeriness and Alex recognised the comment for the minor warning it was and nodded before leaving; he didn’t like to think what the mayor had done to make John act like that because even with seeing Randy behind bars and such he had never had such a darkness in his usually smiling eyes. As the door clicked shut behind him John collapsed down into one of the chairs at the table before the cells and dropped his head onto his arms. Not a second later Randy’s voice sounded, rough with concern, “John? John, what happened? What did he do?” Fuck, stupid cell bars keeping them apart.

Getting up again, John moved to the bars, standing before Randy. “Kiss me,” the words were sincere, borderline desperate though, and even though Randy didn’t want to delay the actual finding-out-what-was-going-on, his own lips refused to ignore the chance to get close to John’s once more. Much like their first meeting since Randy’s incarceration the kiss was uncomfortable because of the cell bars but passionate and toe-curling, Randy’s hands fisted into John’s shirt as much as they were able and John’s own spanned over Randy’s hips. As they broke apart, both breathing hard and with their eyes glazed over, John caught sight of Randy’s wrists and recalled the cream that he had purchased from the local drug-store. Pulling the small tin from his pocket he opened it and then stuck a finger into the concoction before motioning for Randy to hold his hands out.

With the same care and consideration that Randy had shown whilst tending to John’s hands after the tree incident, John applied the cream to Randy’s wrists and then bandaged them. Hopefully that would make the cuffs more comfortable and prevent further damage as well as saving the current afflictions from infection. Shawn would probably have a field-day if Randy ended up dying because of a case of gangrene or something. He placed the tin back into his pocket then for safe-keeping, meeting Randy’s eyes once more afterwards.

“What happened?” Randy repeated, the words quiet and yet seeming to hang between them.

Fighting down the same nausea and cold chill that he had experienced when Shawn had propositioned him back in his office, John took a deep breath and said, “Yah gotta promise ya won’ go crazy in there. Because it’s hard enough that I can’t holdja in my arms right now, let alone if ye’re gonna go mad at me or somethin’ an’ I can’ make it better the way that I want to.”

The concern and anger in Randy’s eyes grew but he gave a terse nod and John swallowed before licking his dry lips to wet them, “I’m stayin’ here t’night, an’ I’m gonna get word t’Ted that he should stay wi’ Cody, an’ Evan t’stay with Chris—preferably with them all together and—“he cut off when Randy made a sound of impatience and realised that he had been running off on a tangent and he sent Randy a quick apologetic and mildly irritated look before explaining what he had been intending to explain beforehand. “Shawn… he ain’t happy.”

Under other circumstances Randy would have made it clear that he really didn’t care about Shawn being unhappy but since John seemed so wound up he let the matter go and waited. “He went mad when a-said that Miss James ain’t geddin’ off that land an’ he don’ got no legal right t’shift her, an’ he seemed t’focus on the fact that Mizanin was the lawyer—“ he’d have to warn the kid to watch his back again… maybe he’d set Riley to offer him some protection for a while against potential threat.

“Well, he started spittin’ tacks when I told ‘im that I wanted a trial fer ya, an’ then said we could have it the first of next month.” That was something he was clearly still unimpressed over. “An’ when I said that was no good he said that I could do something that would make things better for both of us.” The tone in his voice left no doubt in Randy’s mind that what he had been assuming was what Shawn had been insinuating. A furious growl left him and he kicked the bars, hard, startling John somewhat and causing him to step back a second.

“I said no way, an’ he asked me if I was only a whore fer an outlaw,” his mouth pinched, “An’ then he offered me a generous bribe to make sure that I had Miss James outta her house by tomorrow.” Randy shook his head in disgust and started to say something when John’s mumbled comment of, “I wouldn’ like t’think how he treats his poor wife,” and Randy almost snorted; when it came to his wife Shawn was oh-so-careful to make sure that she didn’t see anything she wasn’t meant to. A nice looking girl he had seen when they had last been in town, though it had really only been a glimpse and at the time he hadn’t known who she was.

Shaking his head John rounded off his tale, “So basically, it sounds like somethin’s happenin’ here t’night an’ I ain’t leaving ya t’anyone’s mercy.” He’d get Riley to deliver messages to his friend and Randy’s friends, and then he’d get Riley to check up on Mizanin… he had seen the way the two men had been around one another and something told him a bit of time with the two of them alone would be enough to help… resolve the issues.

It was only when Randy’s hands took a firm grip on his cheeks that John realised he had been zoned out in his own thoughts and he focused himself on Randy’s serious face. “Don’ let that bastard touch you. Not fer my sake, not fer anybody’s sake. I already said I was gonna kill ‘im after all-a this, but if he comes near you…” the threat was there, neither of them needing to fill the gaps in, as it were. Though there was a part of John that felt mildly offended that his masculinity was seemingly questioned with regards to his own well-being, the other side felt oddly flattered and even pleased that someone cared about him so much that they’d do something like that.

“I won’ Randy, I promise ya,” John said softly.

Randy nodded, deciding to leave it at that. He would rather live out his life in the cage he found himself in currently than allow John to become a whore for his sake, but he didn’t like the sound of Shawn’s threats. On the other hand, John had made some serious threats of his own.

“You think that Shawn’ll wait until the first for the trial or will what you said make him have it earlier?” he asked, slightly wistfully. He hated being locked up. He wanted to be able to embrace John properly without the bars in the way. He wanted to be able to wake in a bed he had chosen, even the outdoors was more comfortable since he could at least roll over without taking a fall. He wanted to see his friends, he wanted to see Chris and reassure the man that he’d had nothing at all to do with what happened. As much as he didn’t want John to do whatever it took to free him, he still wanted to be free.

“Apparently, Chris did the whole thing at once and any trial needed was on the first,” John replied. “But there was never anything as big as this...” He lowered his voice slightly, although there was no one else there to hear him. “And Chris is awake. I’m tellin’ ya this can’t go on fer too long because as soon as he’s up to scratch he’s gonna call the damned trial himself.”

“I thought we were pretendin’ he was practically dead?”

“We are. He ain’t real pleased ‘bout it though.” John let out a breath. “Thing is, Chris could get us all out of this thing. Only he’d be leavin’ himself open ta another attack.”

John stayed quiet a moment, then steeled himself. “I’m gonna be stayin’ here tonight. Hope ya don’t mind if I leave Riley in charge fer the afternoon and try an’ get some sleep.” Randy gave a terse nod, Riley wasn’t exactly someone they trusted but he did seem to take his job seriously. “I’m gonna ask Riley ta look in on Mizanin tonight – I think he got dragged right inta the middle of this and he don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

He might have kept going, but the jailhouse door opened at that moment and John gaped at who was standing there. “Evan?”

Evan gasped a little, seeming completely out of breath. “I got five minutes sheriff, I don’t dare leave Chris all alone longer and Wade’s gone back ta the bar...” He trailed off and John went to get him a glass of water. As good shape as Evan was in, he’d obviously raced to see them.

“Ev,” said Randy and Evan stumbled over to the cell, allowing Randy to rest a hand on the back of his neck. Evan seemed to find it more comforting than anything and when John brought the water to him, he took a long swig then burped rather alarmingly.

“Nice,” said John, although it was far from a joking matter.

Evan let his eyes shift between them. “Shawn went to visit Chris before, while Chris played sick. He said some stuff and – look, Shawn’s in this ‘til the death. He said he didn’t mean anything to happen to Chris but shit happened. He knows what happened ta Chris, who happened ta Chris and Randy, he ain’t about ta play nice. He’s not gonna let ya go!”

“It’s okay Ev,” said Randy, smoothing the short hairs on the nape of Evan’s neck. “How’s Chris doin’?”

Evan noticeably perked up. “He’s good. Eatin’, plannin’ revenge, the usual.”

“We might yet have somethin’ fer him ta plan revenge on.” Randy looked troubled. “You go take care ofhim. And go back ta Chris.” He turned his attention to John. “When ya see those boys, ask ‘em ta spend the night close – Cody at least. I got a feelin’ somethin’s goin’ down tonight and I’m assumin’ it’s gonna be right here.”

~:~

Randy assumed wrong.

That evening, Riley was dispatched to keep an eye on Mike and he went to do so with mixed feelings. Given how complicated things were with him and Mike, he wasn’t sure he was the best person to be watching over the lawyer – but orders were orders. And given how John seemed actively worried about Mike, there was nothing that Alex wouldn’t do to keep him safe.

Only when he got to Mike’s house, there was no one home. Alex frowned – Mike should have been back, there was no reason why he wouldn’t be reclining in a seat and maybe reading a book or something. He tried again to no response and then on a whim, went to speak to a neighbour.

“Mike’s stayin’ over at Miss James’ place,” the lady told him, disapproval radiating from her expression and telling Alex exactly what she thought of Miss James and the type of man that would stay the night there. “Asked me ta keep an eye on his place, he thinks the woman might be havin’ some problems.”

Clearly this lady didn’t believe in Mickie’s problems or that Mike should be the one looking out for her, but Alex thanked her kindly and left her be. This complicated things. Mike might be amenable to letting Alex have the couch in the name of duty but given what had happened earlier that day, would Mickie? No matter. It was a chance he’d have to take and if Mickie refused to let him on the property, he’d just have to camp out on the outskirts. If Mike was really in danger...

It didn’t occur to him to go back to the jailhouse, or back home to sleep. He went back long enough to saddle up his horse and headed off to the James farm, arriving as it got dark and hoping he didn’t scare the life out of the occupants as he knocked on the door. A moment later, he was confronted by Mickie looking grim, but he was more concerned about the gun she was holding and raised his hands in a peace/ surrender gesture.

“What’re ya doin’ here Deputy?”

“The Sheriff sent me,” said Alex quickly. “Actually, he sent me to Mike’s place, but I got told he was stayin’ here...?” Mickie nodded and he continued. “Ma’am, things are gettin’ more than a little strange ‘round these parts lately and the new Sheriff’s a touch antsy ‘bout it. He wanted me ta keep an eye on Mr Mizanin and ta be honest, it’s probably a good idea ta be keepin’ an eye on this place too. I was hopin’ ya’d let me bunk down on yer floor.”

“After ya came here tryin’ ta turf me off this mornin’?”

Alex flushed. “We were under orders ma’am and no one knew Chris had been makin’ provisions fer ya.”

Mickie nodded slowly, lowering the gun. “Seems there’s more ta that new fella than meets the eye,” she said with a smirk. “Fine. I have yer word that yer not gonna try nothin’?”

Alex was affronted that she’d even have to ask but nodded and Mickie stepped aside, letting him in. Riley hesitated a moment. “My horse...”

“I’ll go take care of him. You get in there and tell Mike why yer here.” Mickie handed him the shotgun and went outside and after a moments consideration, Alex took it into the living room with him. Mike was stood, apparently waiting in case Mickie started shouting and when he saw Alex his face took on a look of total confusion that the deputy couldn’t help but find endearing.

“I’m yer bodyguard fer the evenin’,” he said before Mike could ask.

“Oh.” Mike managed to look both relieved and troubled. Alex noticed that he’d loosened his tie and seemed much the same as when he was just relaxing at home – probably at Mickie’s insistence. “You think we’ll need it?”

“I don’t think it’ll hurt,” replied Alex calmly, taking a seat beside Mike. Probably nothing would happen, but suddenly he desperately wanted to make a good impression, come off as calm and in control. “Miss Mickie went ta see ta my horse. I think that woman’d rather have a few more ‘round the place, she sure does love ‘em.”

Mike wrinkled his nose a little at the thought of anyone liking horses that much, but his mind was elsewhere. “The sheriff’s idea? Then he’s concerned about something happening as well.”

“I did wonder why ya were out here,” admitted Alex, a little shyly.

“I figured someone oughtta keep an eye on the place,” said Mike. “With Miss James on her own out here in the middle o’ nowhere, anythin’ could happen. And we both know someone wants her outta here bad.”

Alex nodded. “If only we knew why, or could prove somethin’.” He played with a loose thread on his trousers, rather overwhelmed by how close Mike was to him. His hands were rough he noticed, those of someone who did a lot of manual work, nothing like Mike’s. Everything about Mike was a million miles from his own experience, or so he sometimes thought. “There’s more. I don’t know if ya spoke ta Cena yet, but word is that the mayor ain’t gonna be seein’ Randy’s case ‘til the first of the month.”

Mike shook his head. “I can’t deal with this much pressure fer that long. I’ll head inta town tomorrow, cause a ruckus among folk and get ‘em all demandin’ that Randy be brought ta justice long before that. Shawn’ll hafta bend to popular opinion. He ain’t secure enough in charge not to.”

Alex’s lips twitched into a slight smile as he noticed that away from the office and work, Mike’s accent changed slightly to the one they’d all grown up speaking. Apparently he felt comfortable enough to drop his more formal manner around Alex and the man appreciated that very much. It would have been very difficult to come to the farm had he not had the trust of the people he was supposed to be looking out for.

Mickie arrived back into the house once Alex’s horse had been stabled and insisted on making them all hot milk, seeming a little embarrassed. “I ain’t used ta company,” she admitted. “I usually turn in ‘bout this time – I hafta be up early ta take care of everythin’. I hope I ain’t bein’ inhospitable?”

“Not at all Mickie,” said Mike reassuringly, although Alex thought he could hear the way Mike forced himself not to call her ma’am – Mickie had insisted that if they were staying, they would call her by her given name, never one to stand on ceremony. “Think I’ll turn in myself. Got a lot ta do ta get Randy his trial tomorrow.” He hesitated a moment. “Um, Alex? Where are you gonna sleep?”

Should such a seemingly innocent question make him blush? Alex didn’t know, but it did. “Uh, I wanna bunk down on the couch, be downstairs in case o’ somethin’ happenin’.”

“I’ll getcha some blankets,” said Mickie, putting down her drink and heading off into the house.

Mike levelled Alex with a look. “Is that gonna be comfortable? Sittin’s one thing, sleepin’s another.”

“I’m here ta do a job Mike, I ain’t lookin’ ta be comfortable.” Alex gave the other a smile, hoping it didn’t sound rude.

“Still...” Mike bit his lip a moment. “I ain’t gonna feel right sleepin’ in some bed while you’re down here gettin’ neck ache.”

“Maybe y’can rub out the kinks in the mornin’, return the favour,” joked Alex and noted the way Mike’s eyes lit up and his lips quirked into a smile, as if there was nothing the man would like better than to get his hands on the deputy again. Butterflies started in his stomach.

Mickie returned before Mike could return, blanket in hand. “I’m sorry it ain’t much—“

“It’s just fine Mickie,” replied Alex. With his boots off, he stretched his legs out on the couch and bid the other two goodnight, turning down the lantern until it was barely aglow. He wanted enough to see by, but not enough to alert anyone watching that someone was still awake. He didn’t really expect anything to happen – still, it would be nice to look like a hero in front of Mike. In front of anyone actually. He knew that many people still thought of him as a kid, wet behind the ears. He wanted to prove that he was anything but.

It had been a long day and in spite of the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, he found himself able to fall into a light sleep, the kind that would leave him weary in the morning but certainly better than none at all. At one point, he started to dream that Mike came down the stairs and crawled beneath the cover with him, not saying a word. Alex smiled in his sleep, moving to curl closer to the other and then opening his eyes and sitting up in confusion, wondering where the man had gone. It took him a few seconds before he realised Mike had never been there at all, was probably fast asleep upstairs and sighed slightly, groping for his cheap pocket-watch. Just gone two in the morning. Probably in town, John would be standing guard over Randy and there would be someone doing likewise with Chris. It came to something when so many people in their town needed to be protected from some unknown person...

He saw the light outside the window and was momentarily confused – the hell was that? It was approaching fast and he had some vague idea of someone on a horse carrying a lantern and not slowing for anything when the window shattered and a bottle fell to the carpet, some flaming fabric sticking from the neck. The curtains had been fortunately open and didn’t catch but the bottle rolled across the floor, spilling fire and setting light to the rug.

With a shout, Alex grabbed the shotgun that he had kept beside him and ran for the window, ignoring the fire – he knew intellectually he should deal with that first but there was someone out there and if he could stop them, then maybe he could stop the whole mess that had been going on in Bone Orchard. And there was more to it than that, someone was trying to kill him – or kill Mickie and Mike. He wasn’t about to allow that to happen.

The window was already broken and he could hear the sounds of people moving upstairs, but he barely noticed. He was already releasing the safety on the shotgun as he approached, seeing a figure cloaked in shadows outside. He was on horseback and the animal looked a little skittish but the man had control of it – and it was a man, Alex knew. The biggest man he’d ever seen, broad in the shoulders and probably well over six and a half foot tall. For a moment he thought it was the barkeep but then the man raised another bottle, the fabric in the neck already alight and Alex got a look at his face. In the flickering light it seemed that the man was quite dark skinned and perhaps a well-preserved thirty-five to forty years old. He had no doubt that this was the man Maria had described, the one that had attacked Chris. And most certainly not Randy Orton.

Before the man could throw the second bottle, Alex stuck the shotgun through the hole that had already been left in the window and fired. He knew as soon as he shot that he hadn’t aimed quite right, been too fast to have any kind of accuracy, but the end result at least was almost what he would have wanted. The man dropped the bottle on the ground rather than throwing it, clutching at his arm. The flames being so close spooked the horse and it skittered away from the flames, something else falling from the saddle. Right away the flames outside danced higher and without the strong hold the stranger had previously had on the reins, the animal decided to make a break for it. Alex hoped that he’d lose his balance and almost got his wish, but the stranger kept his seat as the horse bolted. Alex fired again and missed entirely this time, but it seemed that the shot only alarmed the horse more, since it found extra speed from somewhere.

There was a shout behind him and Alex moved away from the window, turning to find that in the cramped minute he’d ignored the fire inside it had taken hold better than he could have thought. The rug was blazing and the blanket that had covered him had caught, about to set light to the couch. Mike was stood in his sleeping garments, eyes wide with alarm as he tried to beat out the flames with a cushion from the chair. Alex forgot about his plan, to go for the door and see if he could get another shot at the fleeing stranger, grabbing another cushion and joining Mike instead. There would be no good done if the house burned flat.

Mickie had apparently been alerted too and within a few moments came into the room with a pail of water from the kitchen. Keeping a cooler head than either of the men, she poured it over the worst of the flames and then joined them in beating the rest out. Within a couple of minutes the three of them were breathing heavily through the surprisingly heavy amount of smoke that had been created, dirty and blackened, examining the trail of devastation.

“Go to the kitchen,” Alex ordered Mickie, who was starting to look far more upset than she had with a crisis at hand. It was hard to breathe in the room after all, in spite of the breeze coming in through the window. She nodded once and exited, Alex lingering a moment as he crouched to look at the bottle. It had once held rotgut whisky according to the mostly burned off label, could have come from anywhere. But judging from the smell, when it had come through the window the contents had been oil. They had been lucky, a second and third bottle would have meant the fire raging out of control, the house burning to the ground – and potentially, Mike and Mickie being trapped upstairs. The thought made his head swim, or maybe it was the smoke that did that. He should get out of there for a while.

“My god Alex...”

Alex had assumed that Mike had gone after Mickie, but the man was still standing in the door, looking pale beneath the smudges of dirt on his face. His eyes were on the couch, scorched and bad-smelling, the blanket that was half-burned away and had covered Alex until only minutes ago. Mike couldn’t seem to take his eyes off it. “You were sleepin’ right there – you could have been burned or worse...”

Mike was in shock Alex realised, and his own state of eerie calm probably wouldn’t last but while it did, he could use it. “But I wasn’t,” he said gently, crossing the room and taking Mike’s hand. The man tore his eyes from the burned couch to look at him and Alex ran a thumb over Mike’s cheek, kissing the corner of his mouth without even thinking about what he was doing. There was a growing fury and fear starting in the pit of his stomach, beginning to eat at his calm. Mike had been up the stairs and could very easily have been trapped, had John not told Alex to keep an eye on the man. And he had so nearly not come out to the farm!

“Let’s get outta here and let the air clear up some,” he said firmly, tugging at Mike’s hand. “I’ll get the sheriff first thing in the mornin’ – I don’t wanna risk it now.” Mike looked uncertain and Alex kept his voice steady. “We need ta check on Mickie.”

“Right.” At the mention of the woman, Mike seemed to pull himself together, ready to take care of her. Alex chuckled slightly, that was Mike, always chivalrous. But he noticed that the man made no move to let go of his hand and he couldn’t help but be grateful.

~:~

When Evan returned from the jail as fast as he was humanly able, he found Gail sat at Chris’s bedside and trying to spoon-feed the man, who seemed disgusted and far from happy about the situation. Evan was mildly amused by the scene and might have been more so had things not seemed so bleak. He thought for a moment that Gail might want to finish up the job she was doing, but when she took stock of the fact Evan had returned she merely smiled and handed the bowl and spoon over. Evan returned her smile with a sheepish and apologetic look but she shook her head in understanding. Much like when Gail had begun feeding him Chris had protested that he could manage himself—but when he saw up as much as he was able and the room began spinning he supposed he was going to have to swallow his pride for a while or else end up starving to death. As Gail pottered around tidying the room up and opening the window to give the room some more fresh air, Chris asked, “How’s Daniel doin’, Gail?” Gail’s intended, Daniel Bryan, was a soldier and was away on leave at the moment. They were engaged but because Daniel was away so often and so irregularly they had yet had chance to actually tie the knot.

“He’s doin’ well,” she smiled, appreciating Chris’ interest. Neither she nor Daniel were from Bone Orchard (she more obviously then he) but Chris had helped them greatly when they had first arrived respectively to settle and get themselves on their feet… and that had been back before he was even the mayor.

“That’s good. He comin’ back soon then?” Chris asked after swallowing the spoonful of soup he had been given.

“With any luck,” Gail nodded. Soon she and the doctor were preparing to retire for the night, and Dr Ross ensured to endeavour that all men promised to alert him at the smallest sign of a relapse or trouble. It wasn’t until Ted made the assurance that they would indeed do so that the doctor seemed satisfied and then he left for the night alongside his assistant, intending to walk her home as he always did.

“What happened when ya talked t’Randy then?” Cody asked as he and Ted settled on a chair together, Cody making Ted blush as he had the blonde settle atop his lap.

“Well,” Evan sighed, continuing to feed Chris as he tried to gather his thoughts together, “Sheriff Cena’s got a real bad feelin’, hence why we’re altogether. He’s even sent his deputy t’watch over Mizanin, the lawyer.”

Ted twitched hard atop him and Cody gently rubbed his chest to soothe him. “Why?” the blonde said.

Evan’s brow furrowed, “From what I c’n tell Michaels went pretty mad when he found out about the protective stipulation in yer will, Chris, makin’ it impossible for him t’legally heft Mickie outta there, an’ he knew Mizanin was the one t’find it an’ ledder know.”

“I hope they’ll be Ok…” Ted said and Cody offered as soft and gentle a reassurance as he possibly could. When Chris had finished eating Evan put the bowl aside, Cody looking to the darkening window. “I really hope that we’re jus’ gettin’ paranoid over nothin’. I really do hope so.” None of the three men would later remember falling asleep, but the tranquil silence that had surrounded them was suddenly broken by the sound of thundering horse-hooves heading past the doctor’s office.

Evan was up quickly and to the door, looking out. The rider was very large -and immediately Evan had a bad feeling at the sight of him- though covered in dark clothing, and his horse was seemingly trying to outrun the devil itself. It suddenly reared up with an awful cry and the rider went crashing to the ground. As the horse ran off the rider (cradling his arm, Evan could see) got up and started hastening down a side street. Gun coming out, Evan looked to Cody, seeing his friend was wide awake, Chris and Ted blearily looking at the pair, “Let’s go, Codes.”


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two: A Crisis Of Epic Proportions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the attack Alex, Mike and Mickie try to understand what has happened and how to move forward, meanwhile  
> Evan and Cody follow Dave back to Hunter's and realise just how the two tie together and what this could all be leading to, especially in the face of Chris' recovery and Dave's injury.

If Mickie thought anything was off about the fact that the pair of them were holding hands she didn’t say anything; she appeared more focused about trying to hide the fact that she had been crying, ashamed of her tears it seemed even though she had nothing to be ashamed of. If he was honest Alex wasn’t so sure that he wasn’t going to start bawling like a baby as soon as he let his guard down.

Transferring Mike’s comfort to Mickie with some reluctance, Alex picked up the pail that Mickie had used to put the main of the couch fire out and then took it to the sink. Filling it hastily he then made his way outside and completely extinguished the fire that had stemmed from the second bottle. As soon as he was sure it was safe to do so Alex picked the bottle up and placed it into the pail. Inside the house he found the second and placed it alongside the first; he didn’t know what good they may do to keep them, but evidence was evidence and you never knew when it might become useful.

Upon entering the kitchen once more he saw that Mickie was enveloped in Mike’s arms, both still looking shaken but seeming to calm down. Despite the embrace being completely platonic Alex couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous despite himself, though he was quick to shake it off. Looking to the living-room from where he stood by the door Alex winced when he took sight of the mess of the couch and rug, as well as the smashed window. Damn, what a mess this was.

“I’m sorry abou’ the mess, Mickie…” he said, “I shoulda probably took care-a the fire first, but I saw the guy out there an’ I jus’ wanted t’getta holda him…” he hung his head, and then startled so hard it popped back up when Mike’s voice sounded.

“Don’t be stupid Alex! Ya coulda been on that couch whilst it was burnin’, or that guy coulda come in here an’ tried God knows what else.”

Mickie was nodding at Mike’s side but when she spoke her voice was much quieter, “The mess ain’t nothin’ we can’ sort out, Alex… Mike’s right.”

She waved a hand towards her living-room absently, “As long as we’re all safe it’s Ok. That ain’t nothin’ but a misfortune.” She quirked a weak smile, “I guess it’s lucky that Sheriff Cena sent ya here, huh? An’ that ya had the feelin’ I needed the extra help, Mike. I can’ ever thank you, or you, Alex, enough fer what yeh’ve both done fer me.”

Shaking his head immediately Alex was about to offer a comment of it merely being in the line of duty, but that seemed callous and unfeeling despite it being the truth and so he merely said, “As long as yeh’re both safe.” Mike was sending him that bright-eyed, otherwise imperceptible look again and Alex suddenly found himself wishing that Mickie wasn’t there if only because he doubted she’d want to witness the actual events that he was currently picturing inside of his head. Thoughts that he really needed to stop thinking because it was more inappropriate that ever before in current circumstances.

“We… I think maybe we’d all be safer sleepin’ in here t’night,” he knew that under other circumstances he would have seemed completely lecherous and inappropriate, but Mickie and Mike merely nodded this time around. “Am I Ok t’move the table aside and make some room fer us, Mickie?” Alex asked and the woman nodded, seeming to move on autopilot as her night-gown clad figure headed out of the kitchen and to the stairs, giving a comment about getting the bedding and pillows for them. Moving the chairs from under the table aside neatly Alex then cleared a little more floor space for them. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable but it’d suffice for the next few hours.

Straightening up, Alex was startled beyond belief to suddenly find Mike in his arms and the smaller man’s arms around his neck and drawing him down into a kiss that was so fraught with emotion it immediately had Alex’s head spinning and his knees buckling. Of their own volition his hands spanned over Mike’s hips, clad only in a thin set of pyjama pants, as he began to kiss him back. He knew it was stupid, they were all far too emotional and Mickie might come back in at any moment, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. When his lungs felt they might explode from lack of air Mike was the one who broke the kiss; he looked beautiful, all flushed and wide-eyed and with lips swollen from their attack on Alex’s own. “Don’ you ever be so damn reckless again Alexander Riley, ya hear me?”

Nodding dumbly, Alex couldn’t bring himself to speak. Mike’s eyes captivated him at the best of times, but at that current time, partially lit by the kitchen lamps and filled with all of the emotions from that night, they had never seemed so beautiful to him. “I’m glad ye’re both safe,” Alex finally managed to say.

Mike quirked a tiny smile, “We owe it all ta you, but don’ think this means I’ve forgiven ya fer bein’ so fuckin’ reckless.” Alex didn’t think that was overly fair, but Mike’s logic was hard to argue with.

They had just pulled apart and headed into the living-room to start tidying up when Mickie appeared. She had what appeared to be both her bedding and the bedding from the guest-room in her arms, hardly struggling at all underneath the mass; a sign that she was used to carrying heavy items and something told both men they would offend her if they offered to help her. “I’ll set somethin’ up fer us, Ok?” she asked and the other two men nodded. There was maybe only an hour or so at best when Mickie should have been waking up anyway but she supposed it wouldn’t do any of them any harm just to try and get comfortable and calm down… they would need the rest after all of the excitement that had happened.

The couch there wasn’t much they could do about but Alex managed to patch up the window temporarily until Mickie could have a professional in to fix it, and Mike had removed the burnt items and wiped up the floor. The two men didn’t make conscious efforts towards one another again, but as they worked it was easy to see they were gravitating towards one another more than was strictly normal. Soon, the two men and Mickie were essentially camped out on the kitchen floor, none of them talking but each taking comfort in the other’s presences. In a different scenario they could have been mistaken for children having a play camp-out in their parents’ kitchen or something.

As anticipated none of them fell asleep and when dawn came they all got up and Mike helped Mickie go and replace the bedding before they separated to get changed. Alex had a final clean-up after replacing his own shirt and socks etc. and he then headed outside to see whether he could find any more clues now that he could see. Had it not been for the scorch-mark in the ground Alex might not have even realised there had been a fire there the night before, and the deep tread-marks left in the dirt assured him that this hadn’t been some dream, or that some spectre had attacked them: the assailant had been flesh and blood.

Definitely not Randy, just like sheriff Cena had said, and also as Miss Maria had insisted. Shaking his head somewhat, Alex then went and untethered his horse; if he made it back to town as quickly as he could he could make his report to John and they could be quick to try and hunt the bastard down before anything more happened to Mickie. He was really nervous about leaving Mickie and Mike behind but he had the feeling that they would be Ok together… and that neither of them would fight his orders for once after what had happened. Heading back inside Alex found the table and chairs were back in their usual places and that Mike was sitting at the table nursing a hot drink, Mickie cooking at the stove. It was only when he smelled food that he realised how hungry he was and he cursed himself; he needed to get into town but he also needed food for sustenance as they hadn’t slept much.

“Yeh’re stayin’ fer breakfast, Alex,” Mickie said, as though sensing his internal struggle and he obediently sat down. Though he and Mike were given rather hearty meals indeed Mickie barely picked at the toast she had made herself, something that concerned Mike greatly.

“Mike, will ya be alrigh’ t’stay with Mickie whilst I go back into town? I gotta tell the sheriff what happened here.” Even though he doubted the mystery assailant would try anything in broad daylight he didn’t want to risk leaving Mickie defenceless and without protection; there was only so much to be gained from the expert use of a shotgun. Eating with a ravenous that surprised himself Alex then excused himself from the pair, telling them to be careful before he then went out to his horse. The two bottles from before were wrapped in the burnt rug and tucked securely underneath his arm as he made the swift journey back into town to the jailhouse.  
~:~

Ted found himself almost stumbling as Cody rose from the chair they were somehow managing to share – and any tiredness he had been feeling was extinguished when he saw the gun glinting in Cody’s hand, the way that his lovers face had morphed into an expression of steely, cold determination. “Cody!”

“Biggest guy I ever saw and he looks injured,” said Evan, as if Ted hadn’t spoken. The implication was clear and Cody shot a quick look at Ted before heading for the door. Ted made a move to stop him, thinking that Cody would get himself killed – clearly if this really was the man that had attacked Chris then he had no conscience and no compunction about harming a couple of outlaws. But then he stopped himself. Cody would go anyway and he would only lose them time. And if it was the man who had attacked Chris then maybe with his capture, everything would be over and done with, Randy freed and the new Mayor put firmly in his place. So he stayed his hand, although every part of him was screaming at him to stop Cody going anywhere near the potential threat.

“Lock the door after us and don’t let anyone else in,” Cody ordered and then the two men were running from the room.

Ted followed them, watching as they raced into the night and closed the door softly, looking at it for a moment. “Stay safe Cody,” he murmured quietly, wanting to stay where he was and listen for the knock – but Chris was still back there and given he was too dizzy to sit unaided. Ted should probably be keeping an eye on him.

Heading back to the back room, he widened his eyes in alarm as he saw that Chris was not only sitting up but looked like he was trying to get out of bed. “Chris!” Ted went over to the bed quickly, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder to keep him where he was. “You’re supposed to be restin’ up...”

Chris gave him an exasperated look. “Yeah, while Evan goes runnin’ ‘round tryin’ ta get hold of the guy who did this to me. Damn, I’m only a li’l dizzy, nothin’ ta get in a knot about.” He put a hand to his head, trying to get his bearings back.

Ted let his hand go to Chris’ back, supporting the man as he swayed slightly in his sitting position. “Then why didn’t you tell Evan he couldn’t go?"

“Why didn’t ya tell Cody that?” Chris shot back. Ted looked perturbed and Chris smirked. “Yeah, because he wouldn’t’ve listened and neither would Ev. They want an end ta this as much as we do, more perhaps. They got Randy ta think of too. And they’re men of direct action.”

Ted frowned. “But aren’t you worried?”

Chris gave a slight chuff of laughter. “Yeah, I’m worried. If I could be on my feet right now, I’d be off after them, but I can’t be and I don’t know what’s happening... I’m gonna be goin’ crazy ‘til he gets back. But if I told Ev he couldn’t go, he’d either go anyway or not go and resent me.” He shrugged. “I spent two years worryin’ that he was dead or in jail, it’s kinda hard ta think that he can look after himself but he can. He proved it.”

“So – what, we just sit here and wait?”

“Well, we wait.” Chris planted both hands on the bed and smirked. “We don’t sit here though. I’ve been playin’ dead long enough. I need ta get on my feet and put a stop ta all this shit. And you’re gonna hafta give me a hand.”

Meanwhile, Cody and Evan were sticking to the shadows but it seemed for a few moments that they’d lost their quarry. Evan growled under his breath; how the hell could they lose a man that size, running no less? There was no one else around, they should have been able to hear him, see where he’d gone – and then Cody touched his arm and pointed left from the side street they’d followed the man into. He was leaning against a building, all but hidden thanks to the darkness of the night. There was a cloud over the moon and no lights from the buildings, it was damned hard to see anything.

“You wanna go talk ta him?” asked Cody, gun in his hand and a grim note in his low voice. Evan didn’t need to ask if that was a rhetorical question or not. Talking probably wasn’t on Cody’s mind – questioning who he was and what the hell he thought he was doing was more like it. Cody hadn’t gotten much of a look at the man the way that Evan had, but he knew his friend well enough to realise that Evan suspected the one he’d seen of being the one who’d attacked Chris. And anyway, why would anyone be out that late, on a speeding horse that he didn’t seem to have even tried to recapture when it had taken off, without a sinister motive? It had to have gone half past two.

Evan considered, then shook his head. “He might get away or start shootin’ or somethin’ – or we might hafta kill him.” He didn’t actually sound upset by the prospect. “But if we follow him, we might be able ta find where he’s stayin’. Or where he’s headin’. And then we can collar him without his guns, or get John ta come by and take him in – and that way, we might be able ta get somethin’ ta pin on him, somethin’ more than ‘actin’ weird in the night’ anyway. We put the wind up him, he’s likely ta run and then we won’t never get him. And then we might not ever be able ta clear Randy’s name properly.”

Cody gave Evan an admiring glance that the other probably didn’t see given the darkness and the way he was examining their target. Even though they suspected this was the man who’d hurt Chris, Evan was still seeing the bigger picture – although Cody was certain that should the man show signs of running or if they were seen, Evan would drop the plan to follow him and try to collar him instead.

After a few moments, the man pushed himself off the wall, pulling off his jacket and then what looked like a waistcoat, wrapping the fabric around his arm with a wince and then putting the jacket back on. Evan nodded to himself, he had thought the man was clutching his arm and this seemed to prove it – although why he’d been out riding with an injury was anyone’s guess. It probably wasn’t a sprain if he had to bandage it. The man started off again, not so fast this time and slightly wearily, as if he had a long way to go. He looked around occasionally but Evan and Cody kept well hidden and he didn’t seem to see them. He didn’t look like he was expecting to be followed.

“You recognise what direction we’re goin’ in?” said Cody after awhile.

Evan nodded. “This is the same path we took when John went out ta the Helmsley place that time.”

Cody looked sideways at him. “This might be the only proof we ever get that the guy’s involved. I mean, we know damn well that Shawn’s dirty and we might even be able ta prove it, but we ain’t got nothin’ on Hunter.”

Evan was grimly silent for a moment. “Well, this might be it – but it’s gonna be hard ta track him away from the buildin’s.”

“We can do it Ev,” said Cody determinedly. “We prove Randy was set up, Hunter’s behind it and this whole thing’s over and done with."

“All we can prove is that the guy went ta Hunter’s house...” Evan smirked suddenly. “But I bet if someone pulled that one out on him by surprise, then he’d probably roll on him. Drag him down too.”

“Let’s hope so,” murmured Cody.

~:~

Batista didn’t think for a moment that he might be being followed – there had been no one chasing him on horseback when he had left the farm and it wasn’t like anyone could keep up on foot. The horse had finally managed to ditch him, already spooked from the fire and the shooting it had reared suddenly when some animal had fled in front of it, he suspected a cat but he couldn’t be sure given how quick it had all happened and how he’d been trying and failing to stay in the saddle. His arm hadn’t allowed it though. Whoever had shot him through the window had taken a good amount of skin at the very least and he couldn’t get a good look in the weak light but suspected there had been some real damage done. His arm was numb and weak, blood leaking heavily and not seeming to want to stop.

He was aware that he had fucked up on a monumental scale (again) and that since he had come to this town nothing at all had gone to plan (although since he had lost his family it seemed nothing at all had gone to plan, that certainly hadn’t been part of the plan) and that Hunter was going to be monumentally pissed off. The man had actually paid a visit to Batista that day in a towering fury, saying that he wanted this business over with. And thanks to the unexpected surprise, the job had not been done. It had seemed a simple enough plan, merely burn the goddamn farm to the ground and there’d be nothing for the troublesome woman to fight for; Helmsley could take the place (at a now-reduced price) and it was over with. They even had the mayor out of the way and Hunter’s little puppet could make his life so much easier...

Only it hadn’t gone like that. There had been someone awake and shooting almost as soon as he’d thrown the first missile. He had considered that someone might be able to take a shot from the upstairs and allowed for it, but that one from the downstairs had taken him by surprise. In his light-headed state, caused by blood loss and the fall he’d taken from his horse, it seemed like someone had been waiting for him.

It was a long walk to Hunter’s and the damned horse was long gone; he wondered where it would finally show up and if there would be any way he could get it back – it didn’t seem likely he could go and ask around, given that he’d probably have been described by the person who shot him and he had the damned wound in his arm. Too much, he wasn’t being paid enough for this. Hunter had just better have some kind of back-up plan.

He didn’t bother looking back too often, although he shot the odd glance over his shoulder and saw nothing at all. It would have been difficult enough anyway, the night was damned dark and he wasn’t in much of a mood to be over-cautious. No one had seen him, that much was obvious.

Hunter’s house loomed ahead and he made his way there, wondering for a moment how he was supposed to get through the intimidating gates when he was turning up injured in the middle of the night – but the gate was slightly open. That’s right, he thought muzzily, he was supposed to go back and report should something unexpected turn up, that was why he was out here. It was sort of hard to remember.

There was a light on at the big house, barely visible in the window, probably Hunter waiting up. Batista paused a moment – Hunter could be a bad tempered bastard and he’d sunk a lot moving to a town where he was getting no satisfaction at all. If this was a losing proposition, Hunter would be out a lot of money, or at least his wife’s daddy would be. He tapped on the window and a moment later Hunter looked through it, expression darkening as he saw Batista. A jerk of his head told Batista to get to the front door and Batista did as he was told, Hunter letting him in.

“The hell are you doin’ here?” Hunter asked in a furious whisper, standing in the doorway and blocking Batista momentarily.

“I barely got there and some fucker shot me!”

“You get the job done?”

“I don’t know! Probably not. The place was on fire but there was someone there waitin’.” Batista drew himself to his full height, even injured he was formidable. “Waitin’ fer me. You buy the place up after all, decide ta take care of some loose ends?”

“Why the hell would I do that Dave? I might need ya again.” Hunter gave him a disgusted look. “Though I ain’t sure now. This is a fuckin’ disaster. Were ya seen?”

Batista raised his arm, showing how the blood had soaked and stained the sleeve. “This weren’t no lucky shot. I was wearin’ a hat and it was dark, but who knows? Someone might be able ta say it was definitely me if they saw me ‘gain.”

“Shit. Shit! Anyone links ya with Chris’ attack and our scapegoat walks!” Hunter growled in anger. “Get in here. I’ll get the maid ta sort that arm out an’ then we can decide what ta do. All I can say is, that place had better have gone up in smoke. And if anyone can link ya back ta me, I’ll kill ya myself.”

Batista snarled, but allowed himself to be led into the house and the door closed behind him. He was pretty sure that he couldn’t go anywhere that night, not in the condition he was in – there was every chance he’d simply pass out or something and his horse was gone, though he thought he’d probably get another off Hunter if the man wanted him out of town and unable to be pinned to him badly enough. Then again, Hunter was used to getting his own way. He’d probably find a way around it somehow. Hunter always came up the winner, no matter what his tactics. Dave had known him for a long time, since a long time before Hunter had become heir to the McMahon fortune; the man made his own luck.

~:~

The door had been closed awhile before Evan emerged from his hiding place. As soon as they had seen Batista go through the gate he had known there was no way they could overhear anything from within the house and taken a chance, telling Cody to stay where he was and sprinting for the wall. It had been a difficult climb even for him but he had made it over and into some exotic bush before Batista had gotten to the front door and managed to creep close enough to overhear a good deal of the conversation – in the still night the loud, angry voices had carried. And then he had stayed in place for a while, shaking with anger. What fire? They hadn’t heard anything about it, but they’d only been in the doctors office – still, he would have expected to hear noise and fuss had it been in town. Mizanin’s place? John had been concerned enough to put a guard on there. It would explain how Batista had ended up shot too.

The wall was slightly easier to climb on the inside, plenty of plants to hang on to and a bench for him to boost himself on to. He didn’t linger and managed to be back to a worried looking Cody without being seen. Cody looked rather a lot like he wanted to hit him – Evan had rather run off without giving the man a chance to argue the point. “Dammit Ev, one of these days, yer luck’s gonna run right on out—“

“But not tonight.” Evan looked at Cody sombrely. “Come on. We gotta get back ta Chris and tell him what we saw here. And put Ted’s mind at ease, I’m pretty damned certain that he’s gonna be outta his mind worried.”

“Did they see ya?”

“Ain’t no one chasin’ us.” Evan started back up the road, Cody by his side. “And trust me, what I heard, they’d have a damned posse out after us if they knew.”

~:~

Inside the house Hunter was nursing a glass of brandy as Dave sat on a nearby chair as the young housemaid tended to his wound. The bullet had gone in quite deep, though he was lucky that his assailant hadn’t seemingly gotten too clear of a shot otherwise he could have been suffering much worse. Though she was no nurse the maid managed to clean him up and stitch him up quite sufficiently… though as far as Hunter was concerned gangrene or another sort of infection was the least of Dave’s worries if he had fucked up.

Once she had finished the maid got to her feet from where she had been kneeling beside the large man, “You should be Ok now, sir,” she murmured softly, politely, eyes downcast.

“Thanks,” Dave responded gruffly as Hunter then dismissed the woman with a firm command.

Accepting the glass of brandy that was handed to him, with his non-dominant hand since that was the one that was injured, and he downed the burning liquid in one singular large swallow. Running a hand through his hair, Hunter then clucked his tongue, “What a fucking mess…” he muttered, ignoring the look Dave shot him. “Who would’ve been in the woman’s house? She would have been sleeping, upstairs…” at least that is what he would assume. He was obviously thinking aloud and so Dave didn’t make a point of answering him. He was tired and his arm was aching like a bitch even with the maid’s help.

Hunter knocked back his own drink as he sat down on the couch, his brow furrowed; he would need to speak to Shawn sharpish about what had happened, because if this was heard of in the wrong manner then Shawn would end up being manipulated in a way that he didn’t want. He had worked too long and too hard to have everything go to pot just because Dave had messed up. “You can stay here for tonight, I suppose,” Hunter drawled.

“Oh, thank you,” Dave said with equal dryness, “Don’t hurt yourself with the charity, Hunter.”

Hunter scowled darkly and snapped, “I could just hand you over to the authorities, Dave, and then you’d be swingin’ from a rope within the day.”

Dave didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by the threat, looking levelly back at the blonde, “If I was going to swing from a rope, rest assured that you an’ your buddy’d be swingin’ along with me, Hunt.”

The blonde’s jaw clenched tightly; he wasn’t wrong, after all, because if Dave rolled on him then it’d be their word against each other’s and… his thoughts were running around in a continuous loop of unease. Looking across to Dave he commanded, “Tell me again what happened, from the beginning.”

Dave’s brow furrowed, clearly annoyed since in his mind there was nothing more to be said that he hadn’t said earlier, but he pushed aside his irritation for the moment and so explained how he had rented a horse from some drunkard in serious need of cash, and had then taken a few of the booze bottles he had brought from his saloon. “I stuffed them with rags and put them in a bag an’ made my way t’the woman’s farm. The lights were all off an’ I coulda sworn she must’ve been asleep. I threw a missile through t’window an’ then prepared to throw another…” his brow furrowed and he scowled, “Next thing I know I’m gettin’ a bullet in t’arm.”

“Did you see who shot ya?” Hunter asked Dave and the man shrugged, “I didn’ get too good of a look but it definitely weren’t no woman. M’horse got spooked an’ I had t’get outta there as the fucker was takin’ shots at me left, right an’ centre.” Dave shook his head in disgust and then eyed Hunter with suspicion, “I thought ya said t’wench wasn’ married? Maybe ya oughta check yer information more carefully in future, Hunter.”

Hunter momentarily didn’t respond to the snipe because he was wondering if he could use this potential scandal in future attempts to get her land from her. “I think maybe you ought to think about getting outta here, David,” Hunter said, “Things’re getting hairy here an’ I don’ like it.”

Dave frowned heavily and said, “What abou’ my payment, Hunter?” he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to go anywhere with his arm in this state, especially not long distances—the stitches would end up getting popped with the motion of the horse.

The blonde sneered at him and Dave felt his body tense in response. “I don’ think ya deserve as much as we discussed, David, I mean, you did fuck up big time, and I don’t really want to be putting myself out of pocket for a two-bit—“

The end of his sentence was cut off by Dave’s hand wrapping around his throat as he was driven to the floor. Hunter’s eyes widened in fear for a few moments, suddenly wondering whether he had bitten off more than he could chew—his own hands gripped at the large one Dave possessed that was wrapped around his windpipe and squeezing it with undeniable pressure. “I don’ think so, Hunt,” Dave growled, “I think you’ll be givin’ me exactly what we arranged.” There was no emotion in Dave’s eyes and a vein was throbbing in his temple.

At that moment in time Hunter had no doubt whatsoever that Dave would kill him, and without a moment’s hesitation. As his vision started to fog around the edges Hunter suddenly became aware of a noise by the doorway. When a shriek sounded he managed to move his head enough to find his wife standing in the doorway in her nightgown, her hair unbound and her face pale as her hands covered her mouth. “Get offa him!” she shrieked and Dave’s eyes narrowed. Though Dave was usually more conscientious about dealing with women Hunter wasn’t too sure about how the man was going to do in his current state.

“Steph, get out,” he tried, croaking and rasping somewhat since he was essentially being choked.

The brunette made as though she was going to step forward, but Dave suddenly released her husband and Hunter rasped, “I said get to bed, Stephanie!” she puffed up like a bullfrog in indignant rage, and Hunter knew that later she would be trying to have a go at him later, but that was a consideration for another time.

Coughing and gasping, Hunter pushed himself into a seated position as Dave stood up and looked down at him with a cold dispassion, “I only have half here now,” he conceded grudgingly, “I’ll need to go to the bank in the morning to get you the rest.” At that, almost as soon as the rage had enveloped Dave it was gone again and he seemed completely relaxed and at ease.

Rubbing his throat as subtly as possible, Hunter muttered for Dave to follow him and led the other to his study where he kept a good portion of his money for day to day purposes. Handing over the cash, Hunter then muttered, “I’ll show you to your room.” It was about twenty minutes later when he was crawling back into his own room almost—and instead of the prospect of thick covers and soft pillows he was confronted by his pissed off looking wife. He had always found Stephanie attractive, but when she was mad… she was magnificent. It was probably one of the main reasons he loved to make her mad. At that moment in time though he was not in the mood to press the moment.

“Go to sleep, Stephanie,” he said in a low voice, getting in his side of the bed and then turning the lamp off. Stephanie huffed and started on one of her usual tirades, but Hunter merely turned and placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. “Shut up,” he said flatly, “Shut up and go to sleep.” Stephanie’s eyes widened as Hunter’s fingers dug into her cheeks somewhat, but for once the brunette did as she was told and lay down quietly at least, much to Hunter’s relief.

~:~

“Doncha think yer pushin’ yerself too hard?” asked Ted as Chris rubbed at his forehead, norticably pale. He claimed that the headache had improved, but he still seemed somewhat unsteady on his feet, struggling for balance and moving slowly.

“Nope,” said Chris simply. “I’m sick of this shit. And I’m a grown man who took a bump ta the head, it’s a bit pathetic ta lie here like a woman with the monthlies.”

Ted flushed – who wanted to consider that kind of thing? But Chris could see how his eyes kept going to the door and he worried at his lower lip with his teeth. He was worried about Cody. Chris was worried too, but there was no way he could just sit and brood. And if he wanted to keep Evan safe, he had a better way to do so than most – and anyway, he really wanted to see Shawn’s face when he walked back into his office, or down to the jail house to announce that Randy was having his trial. He wasn’t in a position to have the man freed because he’d said it wasn’t Randy who’d attacked him – but he knew that his word would get the man off. Two nights in jail, Randy might well have chewed his way through the bars by this time.

“Gettin’ light,” said Ted by way of a change of subject.

“And this is the day I’m walkin’ on out there,” said Chris, sitting on the end of the bed and not looking in a fit state to do so. “And no way am I lookin’ weak while I do. I need ta bring an end ta this, at least get Randy outta jail.”

Ted nodded and Chris shot him a smile. “Mixed blessin’ for ya I guess.”

“Well, Cody has ta stay in town as long as Randy’s inside so yeah. But it’s not like I can stay around forever either. My dad already sent a hunter out after him, probably plannin’ to talk me into goin’ home too and he’s gonna start wonderin’ why there’s no word yet. I wrote him a letter but he probably hasn’t got it yet.”

“And told him that Cody ain’t here?”

Ted’s blush grew darker. “Told him I weren’t here. Told him we were in the town John and me stopped in first stopped in.” He shrugged. “But the mail coach is only once a week, I don’t think he got it yet.”

Chris gave Ted a thoughtful look. “Maybe ya should consider takin’ a chance. Life ain’t a practice run. Sometimes ya just hafta go against convention.”

Ted smiled wanly. “There’s some things ya can’t fight. My dad has deep pockets and losing isn’t an option for him. It wouldn’t be like I was leavin’ home for somethin’ better, at least not that he’d see. He’d think he was doin’ it for my sake, but he’d go outta his way to bring me back. And Cody’s a bank robber. Far as dad’s concerned, he’d think it was just justice catchin’ up with him if somethin’ bad happened – and I’d rather live without Cody than see him hurt.”

Chris had just been about to ask Ted more about his family (particularly this protective, well-off father) when the door to the doctor’s offices opened and a weary looking Cody and Evan re-entered. It was apparent that when Evan saw Chris standing he was torn between delight at the development and concern that the other was overdoing it.

“Chris—“Evan moved over to the blondes and Ted immediately allowed the ravenette to take his place, nodding his head to Chris with a small smile as the Canadian caught his eye over his lover’s shoulder.

Feeling arms envelope his waist Ted turned into the embrace, giving Cody a tight squeeze in return as he reprimanded weakly, “Ya impulsive fool!” God only knew what may have happened to the two of them if they had gotten on the wrong side of this dangerous assailant, regardless as to whether or not the man was injured. Cody quirked a small smirk at the words but didn’t deny or dispute them.

Evan had tried to coax Chris back to bed but the Canadian wasn’t having it. So, as he helped the other continue a painfully slow, but gaining in confidence, track around the room, the ravenette decided that it would be best to fill their lovers in on what they had witnessed. “We followed the guy,” he said, hearing Ted giving a small intake of breath as though he wanted to scold them but held himself back, for which Evan was grateful, “-figured that he might tek us t’his hotel, ya know? Only he didn’,” Evan’s expression darkened, lips compressing together tightly and Cody was the one to finish his sentence, “He went to Helmsley’s place.”

A quiet sound akin to a growl left Chris at the name and Cody gave a quiet, hollow and humourless laugh, “Apparently, from what we could gather, there was an attack tonight… it jus’ wasn’ on us…” he trailed off somewhat and seemed almost nervous; since finding out that Chris had taken over James farm to allow Mickie to stay there, they had all gathered that there was a sibling-like relationship between them. Or Mickie was like a niece to Chris or something. “It was on Mickie James’ farm. Hunter asked this fella, Dave, I think ‘is name was, if he had gotten it done—burned the place down.” A violent curse left Chris and he convulsed powerfully in Evan’s arms with a burst of rage.

“It’s Ok though,” Evan hastened to assure his lover, knowing that if they didn’t tell him that part that Chris’d be trying to get out that door then and there with a gun in hand to take care of Hunter and the assailant himself. “The fella said that someone had obviously been lyin’ in wait for him because no sooner had he started tryin’ t’do what he was sent there t’do, someone shot ‘im… that was the injury we saw. Looked pretty bad too. An’ since there’s not been no hubbub in town we can assume that Miss Mickie is alrigh’.”

Seeing the look on Chris’ face though Evan added a soft, “I’ll go by an’ check on her as soon as fer ya, Ok? We’ll make sure that she’s Ok.” Chris looked grateful for a moment before his expression hardened. Allowing himself to be led back to bed for the moment the blonde made a vow that as soon as he had had breakfast he was getting up; this had gone on for long enough and lines were being crossed that shouldn’t be crossed and he wasn’t going to stand by idly and let it happen. They were going down, all of them.

“They went inside an’ we decided t’come back before we got seen,” Evan rounded off, pretending not to hear Cody’s muttered, “Before he got caught climbin’ the damn walls and peekin’ through t’windows,” as he continued, “So now we know fer sure that Helmsley’s the one pullin’ the strings on everything.” As they had suspected all along Shawn had just allowed himself to be corrupted and led astray and now he was in too deep to back down. However, if they could get him to roll over on Helmsley, then their case against him would be that much stronger when they finally collared him.

“We can check by the sheriff’s office,” Ted said, having been oddly quiet through the proceeding conversation—though that could have been shock and none of the others would have held it against him for him to be feeling that way. Ted was a sheltered boy in general and violence was probably only something he’d heard whispers of before, so to be so continually exposed to it like this… it was enough to make anyone weary.

“I’m goin’ with ya,” Chris said flatly, ignoring the protests Cody and Evan, most specifically, gave, “We ain’t got the luxury for me t’be playin’ possum,” he started, “-the sooner I take the reins back on my town the sooner we can get these miscreants brought to justice.”

Even though he knew that it was still much too risky for Chris to be in the open Evan also knew that he was never going to persuade the man otherwise if he had made his mind up—this decision did explain why they had found him using Ted as a human crutch to walk around the room. “Helmsley an’ this unknown fella are dangerous enough as it is, but the longer I’m in here an’ Shawn’s in charge the longer Randy’ll be in danger and the more influence and immunity they’ll have.”

Before anything more could be said there was a knock on the door and Gail opened it, tray in hand, smiling in greeting. If the nurse noticed the tense atmosphere in the room she made no comment; merely chattered to Chris as she set his breakfast tray down for him and took his temperature and did a few other tests to make sure that he was still holding alright in his current condition. As soon as she was done she excused herself and left again, telling them she’d be back soon to collect his dishes—Evan had to admire her tact.

“Do ya think she heard anything?” Ted asked and Chris allowed Evan to help him sit upright before he picked up the spoon and began to eat the porridge that had been prepared for him.

“Even if she did she won’ say anythin’. Gail won’ like what’s been goin’ on anymore’n any of us have, an’ she’s a good girl. Knows when to keep quiet.” She kept much to herself, always had, and Chris knew that he had her loyalty should he need it. Though the other three men in the room looked uncertain they could hardly dispute Chris’ words considering that he had known her longer than any of them had, and he was the one who had the greatest say in any matters which might affect his security and suchlike. “We’ll go across t’the sheriff after breakfast and see what’s been goin’ on.”

“I don’ think the doc’s gonna wanna let ya go,” Cody mused slightly and Chris groaned around his spoon; it seemed that the good doctor had been momentarily dropped from his thoughts. “Maybe ya can all smuggle me out in the beddin’ or something,” he pretended to consider. At least, Ted assumed he was joking. Evan was still looking tense and uneasy, but when Chris’ free hand enveloped his own he seemed to relax a little; Chris would be fine, he told himself determinedly, because he wasn’t going to be letting him out of his sight for anything. Cody felt Ted’s lips brush against his cheek and he held the blonde closer with a thin smile. Soon they would have this sorted out, and chances were they would all of them be separating from one another, the only snag as far as he could see.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Three: Back In The Saddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn gets an unwelcome shock whilst in the act of his 'Mayorall' duties and Chris sets about putting to right everything that has been going wrong in Bone Orchard, with a little help from his friends.

The door flung open with more force than Alex had been intending to use, but he didn’t stop, striding right inside and closing the door behind him again. Randy had been lain out on the bench, long limbs draped over its edges, and John had been resting his feet atop the table from where he was seated at the table. Though neither man had seemed to be sleeping especially they both jumped upright when he entered. The question that had been on the sheriff’s lips seemed to die swiftly when he saw what Alex had in his hands. Placing the semi-charred blanket onto the table, he then unrolled it. John lifted one of the bottles, fingering the almost unrecognisably charred material, blue eyes wide and shock written all over his face. Over John’s shoulder Randy was trying to see what the deputy had brought in. “What t’fuck’s all this?” John asked finally when he seemed to regain use of his voice once more.

Lips curling somewhat Alex said, “The same guy that attacked the mayor threw that into Mickie James’ living-room last night—“a violent curse erupted from Randy, startling Alex, but John’s expression merely darkened further as he motioned the deputy to keep talking, “—an’ the thing damn set fire to her couch an’ the blanket. Good job I’d moved offa there ain’t it? Anyway, I ran out after ‘im, managed to stop him usin’ a second one by shootin’ ‘im. I only managed t’get ‘im in the arm but it was enough. The guy was massive; it had t’be the one that Miss Maria said.”

John seemed to contemplate for a moment before he said, “Are Mickie an’ Mizanin alright? What was he doin’ there anyway?”

Alex couldn’t help smiling slightly with pride as he said about Mike thinking that it would maybe be a good idea that she had someone there with her after the meeting she’d had with them about her land.

Looking torn between his upset and amusement, John nodded, “Well it’s good ye’re all Ok. Is Mike with Mickie now?” he asked and Alex nodded his head, admitting that he’d asked them both to stay put until he could come here and see what he should do next.

John was frowning somewhat to himself; they couldn’t leave Mickie alone more so than ever before after this, but if Alex had managed to shoot the assailant then maybe they would be able to collar him and get this mess sorted out quickly. “I think it’d be a good idea if we can keep those two on t’farm together, an’ chances are you’ll be good use there, especially on a night,” Alex nodded slowly but didn’t interrupt because he could see that John hadn’t finished with his thought and he didn’t want to throw the man off his train of thought. “Alex, can ya go an’ see doctor Ross? Ask ‘im if he’s had anyone in with bullet-wounds. Or indeed if he’s just had a stranger stop by fer any reason. Ask at the drugstore too.”

Though there was a part of Alex that wanted to return to the farm to make sure that Mike and Mickie were Ok he knew that he was more immediately needed to help John out; the man had already made it clear that Randy was another target and so he couldn’t be left alone, the fact that Noble hadn’t turned up again meaning that if they both left then the place would be empty… and that wasn’t done. Ever.

“We’ll keep holda this stuff,” John nodded decisively, “Smart thinkin’ on pickin’ it up an’ not jus’ throwin’ it away.” Despite himself Alex couldn’t help blushing somewhat at John’s praise, retrieving his hat and then muttering a goodbye before headed out.

Swearing as soon as the door closed John placed a hand over his eyes and sighed. “Good call ya made there, John,” Randy’s voice was low, terse, “If ya hadn’ then I wouldn’ like t’think what may-a happened t’Mickie.” The woman might be strong and independent but he didn’t know many people who wouldn’t be afraid being attacked by a stranger like that. John’s insight and heeding of Shawn’s warning had really saved Mickie, and Mike it seemed.

“This is gettin’ beyond a fuckin’ joke!” John growled, “They coulda seriously injured her!” it would have been one thing for them to go after Mike because, typically, as a man it was a given that he would potentially have more of a chance to defend himself if the situation required it… Mickie wasn’t too good with throwing punches he’d reckon. “I know,” Randy muttered quietly, “An’ from the sounds of things Shawn knows where the bastard’s hidin’ out, and neither he nor Helmsley have much qualms about hurtin’ a lady.” Oh, heads were going to roll when he got out of here. “It’s probably a good job we got the boys t’stay together as well with Chris, jus’ in case.” Chances were he may have been scheduled to take another pop shot at Chris after he’d gone for Mickie… only Alex had derailed his plans some.

“I oughta go ‘round there and give Shawn a piece-a my mind about what games he an’ that Hunter’re playin’,” he growled and Randy couldn’t help but think that although John was gorgeous when he was all dimpled smiles and bright blues, there was just something about the man when he was angry that rattled his cuff chains, if you understood his meaning.

“Ya can’,” Randy protested immediately, “We can’ give ‘im too much of an advantage.”

Slamming his hand down on the table John nodded, brow furrowing. “I don’ know what we’re gonna do though if that stranger han’t stopped off at the doc, or hasn’t gone fer some bandages or whatever. He’s not likely to hightail it outta here with a wound like that, but if he does leave without any of us bein’ able to stop ‘im then we’re screwed.” Well, not completely screwed, but it was going to be harder at Randy’s trial to prove his innocence if they didn’t a) already have this guy in custody, or b) have an idea of where he might be so that they could get hold of him instead.

Randy scuffed restlessly at the floor with his boots; speculating was all well and good but he wished he could be actively helping instead of stuck in the box. “We’re gonna get this sorted one way or another, an’ then Chris’ll see that justice is done t’Michaels, Helmsley and their hired muscle, whoever he may be. They ain’t gonna get the chance t’harm an innocent again if I can help it.” He would probably need to have Riley watch the jailhouse for him when he came back though so that he could go to see Chris and the others and update them on what had happened. He truly believed that now, more so than ever before they had best all begin watching their backs.

~:~

To say that Alex was pissed off would be an understatement; he was fuming. Everything he had been chasing up for the Sheriff had turned out to be a bust, and though this wasn’t exactly surprising for him it certainly left him with very little to go on. No one had called into the doc, as he had found when his visit across had actually interrupted the man in the middle of breakfast—it seemed that he’d slept in for once.

And, no one had purchased any bandages or indeed any pseudo medicinal equipment at all in the past few days, let alone some stranger coming in and doing so. Sighing, Alex scrubbed a hand over his face and leant against the wall momentarily. Once again, when he closed his eyes, as he had found happening some that morning, he was seeing Mike’s terrified face on a continuous movie loop. Without really thinking about it his fingers made their way to rest atop his bottom lip, the desperate kiss that Mike had given him that morning making the appendages tingle with phantom burning heat.

His anger rekindled in him hotter than ever as he made his way back to the jailhouse; to think that someone actually had the ability to consider harming anyone that way, let alone a defenceless woman, made his stomach drop and fill him with the urge to double-over and upchuck right there on the main-street. John had made a good call and Alex owed him one whether John realised it or not. When he reached the jailhouse he pushed the door open, seeing that John had been inspecting the remnants he’d brought him.

“Nothin’,” he said, clearly dispirited and the curse that John gave assured him that the man was feeling as frustrated as him at least.

Giving Alex a small grin John complimented, “Good work Alex, ya got that done faster’n I was expectin’.” He shook his head and motioned him forward to the table, “Here; I ain’t local so I don’ know, but this stuff strikes me as cheap, nasty boozin’, and I was wonderin’ if ya knew anywhere in town that might sell it.”

Alex’s brow furrowed; Wade certainly wouldn’t sell it, and neither would many of the other more prolific establishments in town. “I don’ reckon any of the well-known ones would,” he said, clearly apologetic that he couldn’t give more information, “But I reckon that some of the back-alley dives might do so.” He inspected the cloth that had been used but even if it hadn’t been burned the way it had he doubted it would have given them many answers.

“We need t’start makin’ a list of these so-called dives,” John said, brow furrowed and clearly thinking aloud. It took Alex a few moments to remember that Randy was even there, because he had never known the man to be this quiet before whilst he was awake. He was looking out of the cell with dark, intense eyes, and Alex shivered despite himself; he certainly wouldn’t want to be the one the outlaw’d be gunning for when this was all over.

~:~

“I ain’t convinced Chris.” Dr Ross gave a rather severe look to the mayor and Chris tried to look both healthy and determined, although the doctor made him feel like a twelve year old sometimes. “Day before yesterday you were unconscious, yesterday you were playin’ dead and today y’reckon yer well enough ta march up the street? I’m thinkin’ ya need a few more days restin’ up—“

“Jim, I can’t.” Chris leant back slightly, trying not to wince slightly as pain darted through his head, not as serious as some he’d suffered in the last couple of days but bad enough to give him pause. “I’ve no idea what’s been goin’ on in this town, but somethin’s gotta be done.”

“I get the feelin’ ya know more ‘bout what’s been goin’ on in this town than most,” returned Jim dryly. “It don’t change the fact that ya took a hell of a blow and I ain’t sure ya fit ta be walkin’ ‘round yet.”

“I really don’t have that much of a choice Jim.” Chris lowered his voice, trying to emphasise just how important it was that he got up and made his presence felt on Bone Orchard, big time. “It’s been two days and already there’s been all hell breakin’ loose. I ain’t standin’ by and lettin’ it happen. I’ll have Evan keepin’ an eye on me and no doubt Wade’ll be insistin’ on doin’ the same. Probably be more babied goin’ out there than stayin’ in here.”

Jim shook his head slowly. “I ain’t happy ‘bout this Chris, but I can’t stop ya – I got some conditions though. Me or Gail are gonna be checkin’ up on ya – a lot. I’m gonna ‘company ya to where ever the hell yer thinkin’ of goin’ now – don’t tell me yer plannin’ on goin’ home ‘cause I ain’t stupid and I can see clear enough that Evan got ya some clothes from home already. And if he ain’t with ya, Wade is, or one of those boys who’ve been ‘round the last few days. Don’t wancha collapsin’ with no one there ta catch ya.”

Chris sketched off a quick salute. “I got it boss.”

Jim gave a small smile. “Yeah, I get the feelin’ you only want one boss in town. You’d better be sure you’re up ta makin’ it you.”

“Pissed as I am over recent shenanigans?” Chris snorted slightly, delighted that he was getting his own way. “Trust me, no one’s gonna be standin’ in my way, no matter how big of a lump I got on my head. Can I borrow a towel, maybe a razor? I don’t wanna look like I just spent the last two days in bed.”

~:~

John had asked Riley to watch the jail while he went out looking at the list that the deputy had compiled for him. He needed to stretch his legs a little and get some air and he felt bad for Randy, who wasn’t able to. He had a perverse desire to see Shawn turn up at the jailhouse, partly because he wanted any fallout to happen now rather than waiting but also because the man would bring the keys and he could insist that Randy was given the dignity of basic hygiene. He had passed water and a washcloth through the bars but there were certain things not allowed. A razor, for obvious reasons – Randy was sporting dark stubble and John often found himself wondering how it would feel against his skin.

He got half-lucky on his search. He spoke to a woman in one place who had never heard of anyone using the name ‘Batista’ but when he described the man, using the details Maria and Chris had given (and used as much charm as he was able to bring forth for the rather aged and unkempt owner) she immediately raised her eyebrows and said she might just remember someone like that. Money exchanged hands and made her memory much better, she told John that he had been staying there. However, he had not said anything about his business, hadn’t even told her his name and she had not asked. He spent most of his time in his room but had left it the night before on horseback and the horse was still not in the dilapidated stable around the back. John still checked it out, gun at the ready, but there was no one in the room. There was a barely-started bottle of rotgut in there though and John would have sworn blind that it was the same type that had been used to start last night’s fire.

There was nothing at all else of interest there, nothing to tell him anything about the man who had apparently blown into town shortly before Chris’ attack and John had still not seen. John let himself out and told the woman not to mention his presence, although he didn’t hold out much hope of that. He would have to keep an eye out for this man, hope that he showed up or that he attracted some attention somewhere.

He made his way back to the jailhouse, feeling more than a little disheartened – events had made him feel that way but it would have helped no end if he could have made an arrest. And no matter how big this man was, he was strong and had the advantage of surprise, or would have had. Now there was no guarantee. And there was a chance he’d lost his quarry, since the man had taken his horse along. He had hoped for better news to carry back to Randy. At least there was no chance Shawn had happened along while he was out – he knew from discrete enquiry that Shawn had a meeting with the bank manager. Odd and perhaps a little ominous.

He strolled back into the jail house and stopped when he saw Cody and Ted stood there, Cody talking quietly to Randy and Ted telling Alex about some burn treatment that was used by mine workers in his home town, who could often get unpleasant wounds of that type. Alex jumped guiltily as John came in but John made no move to tell him off, he’d probably realised that Cody and Ted weren’t the kind of people he’d warned the man about being around Randy.

“We got news Sheriff,” said Cody without preamble. “Been waitin’ fer yer return.”

“What kind of news?” asked John

Cody looked to Randy, then to Alex and Randy gave a dismissive shrug. “He’s okay.”

Cody nodded and Alex felt a moment of odd pride to have been described as such and by a prisoner no less. He probably shouldn’t have been particularly pleased. Cody launched into his tale. “We were at the docs last night when we got woken by some ruckus – some guy fallin’ off a horse. Ev said he looked hurt and that he was the biggest guy he ever saw, bigger than you Rand. So we thought we knew who he was and we followed him. He was havin’ some real trouble with his arm—“

“I knew I hit him!” Alex beamed and then realised he was getting some looks. “I shot a trespasser at the James farm last night, sounds like the same guy. Huge. Horse was dark, had a white stripe down its face, I think.”

“I didn’t see the horse,” admitted Cody. “It was long gone when I was lookin’ but Ev saw it. I only saw our guy. Real tall and—“ He put his hands by his shoulders some distance away to emphasise broadness. “We followed him right ta Helmsley’s place.”

He quickly paraphrased what Evan had overheard, Randy growling slightly at the comment about the fire and about how he was a scapegoat, while John looked troubled. Alex tried to hide his pride at having wounded the man, but he was a little shaken even so.

“I’m gonna tear a strip offa Ev fer bein’ so reckless when I get outta here,” Randy mumbled, but there was some admiration in his voice too. “Hell, but this is gonna help though, right? I mean, they heard the guy talkin’ ta Helmsley and sayin’ how he’s set everythin’ up. That’s gonna land him in trouble, right?”

John wanted to agree, but couldn’t. “If there was someone ta try him then yeah. Right now, it ain’t worth nothin’.”

Cody opened his mouth to tell them what he had found upon return – namely Chris trying to get himself healthy enough to do what he thought he had to – but before he could, they heard something outside. They all paused to listen to what sounded like running feet, stopping at the door for long moments as if the runner was regaining some breath. Then a knock sounded and a head poked around the door.

“Hey Noble,” said Alex dryly. “Thanks fer joinin’ us. Late.”

Noble gave him a rather scornful look, then turned his attention to John. “The mayor sent me down with a message. He wants ta see ya in his office, right away.”

John and Randy exchanged quick looks that Noble, looking curiously at Ted, didn’t notice. “Tell Shawn I’ll be along shortly,” said John, who had no intention of rushing.

“Not Shawn,” explained Noble, as if he were speaking to an infant. “Mayor Jericho.”

All movement stopped and the gathered men stared at Noble, who basked in the attention. “Chris?” John’s voice was incredulous. “Chris asked you? Chris is up?”

“Up an’ walkin’ down main street.” Noble puffed up with importance. “He grabbed me on the street an’ told me ta come tell ya ta get down there an’ make it quick. Had the doc with him and some little guy, he’s headin’ fer the town hall.”

“So where’s Shawn?”

“Far as I know, in the mayor’s office. That’s what I heard.”

John glanced at Randy and had to fight not to grin. “Sounds like the mayor’s back – and he’s pissed.”

~:~

Chris wondered if all the healing he’d needed was to get out of the damned small room in the back of Jim’s office and on the streets, finally about to do something regarding the current situation. He knew he’d probably feel the effects when he stopped but for the moment, he felt like he could take on the world. Probably because he was about to, or as good as. And Evan was right beside him, refusing to leave his side even for a moment. The younger man was worried about him and probably rightly, but Chris wasn’t about to be stopped. He would however make it up to Evan later on – the man had been more worried about him than he probably realised, he knew. He’d make it up by making sure they were all safe and free.

He spotted Noble slinking down the street and hailed him, wondering why the man wasn’t at work or just on his way home out loud. He let Noble stammer for a moment and then sent him off to go get John. It was only fair he brought the man in on this. They were attracting some attention he knew, but that was fine as well. Forget dealings in the dark, he wanted everyone to see what was happening in Bone Orchard. He just hoped no one ran ahead to the Town Hall and warned Shawn in advance – it was worth recovering just to see the look on the man’s face. Actually it was far more worth it to see Evan again, but Shawn’s discomfiture would be a sweet side effect.

He had never bothered with a secretary, preferring to let the paperwork get into disarray on its own, but it looked like Shawn had a different plan. There was a young woman that Chris vaguely recognised, looking startled to see him. Chris paused. “When did you start?”

“It’s my first day,” she almost wailed, probably seeing her new job slipping away in front of her eyes.

Chris sighed a little. “We’ll talk,” he said, refusing to start this off by firing someone who wasn’t even involved. “Shawn in my office?”

“Well yeah, but he’s talkin’ to the bank manager and he said he wasn’t ta be disturbed for anythin’—“

Chris walked past her, seeing her dithering from the corner of his eye and chuckling to himself. “Hey Jim, why don’t ya stay here and help the lady make sure Shawn ain’t disturbed any further?” he suggested. Jim got the hint and Evan paused a moment, but Chris smiled at him. “You wanna stay here or you wanna see this?”

Evan smirked. “Oh, I wanna see this. You have no idea how much.”

“Well, lemme give ya the grand tour.” Chris marched down the corridor to a door, tightly closed against them. He threw it open. “This is my office. Oh, someone’s here already.”

Shawn, apparently in the middle of a serious conversation, looked up ready to yell furiously, saw Chris and went white.

“Mornin’ Shawn.”

“Buh...” Shawn stared at him. “You were at death’s door yesterday, the doc said so!”

Chris wished he had some way of capturing the moment so that he could see it any time he liked. “He exaggerates.” Chris nodded at the bank manager. “Could ya excuse us please?”

The manager rose and scurried past Chris and Evan from the room. Chris had no doubt at all that word was already spreading through town; he wasn’t known for his rationality when he was pissed off and probably people were wondering why he’d go straight to his office instead of convalescing at home. With an almost-pleasant smile, Chris stepped into the office properly, Evan following him and closing the door.

“Heard ya’ve got someone in custody fer attackin’ me,” said Chris.

“Well, yeah,” stammered Shawn.

“When’s the trial?”

“Um, same as when we always have the trials, on the first—“

“Oh come on, this is a potential hangin’ offence and y’can’t keep him or us waitin’ ta find out the truth.”

“I was – I was waitin’ fer any developments.”

“Fer me to die y’mean?” Chris lost the smile. “Let’s get on with it then. I’m alive, that’s all the development that matters. We’ll call the damned trial today.”

Shawn’s eyes widened in shock, as did Evan’s, who murmured to Chris, “Do we even still need a trial?”

“Man’s been publically accused, got a right ta face his accusers and hear all the evidence.” Chris glanced at Shawn, who was lookin’ more than a little outraged. “I sent fer the new sheriff already, I’ll be givin’ him his instructions when he gets here.”

Shawn managed to rally himself. “I’m the sheriff—“

“Well, not from what I heard. Ya acted as mayor in my absence, but now I’m back I’m takin’ over again.”

“The common thought is that y’should stand down,” Shawn said, standing and trying to be forceful.

“Screw the common thought, I’ll let people decide come election time.”

“Well, then... if you’re back, then I can go back to my proper job!”

“Fer the moment, this Cena fella’s in charge of the prisoner, let him see this thing through. And yer supposed ta be handin’ things over ta me, not messin’ with outlaws.”

Shawn scowled. “Y’don’t know how things’ve been ‘round here just lately. This Cena, he can’t be trusted—“

“Oh? So why didja make him Sheriff then?” Chris went to the desk, planting his fists on it and looking Shawn dead in the eye. “Trust me, I know exactly what’s been happening ‘round here and I don’t much like it.”

Shawn met his gaze and held it. “Heresay an’ lies, you ain’t in no condition ta be thinkin’ of things like this. Y’need ta be recoverin’ and I’ll be pointin’ that out ta everyone.” He looked away, over to Evan. “Who’s that guy anyway?”

“Bodyguard,” returned Chris promptly. “Someone’s been tryin’ ta kill me y’know.”

“So ya need a bodyguard now?”

Chris snorted. “He’s protectin’ them from me when I get ta the bottom of this.” He moved back and smirked a little as he heard a knock at the door. “Sounds like our esteemed Sheriff now.”

Evan opened the door to let John in, who gave Chris a startled look and then turned his attention to Shawn. What he saw on the man’s face made him smirk. “Mornin’.”

“Sheriff.” Chris nodded rather formally at John. “There’s gonna be a trial, today. We’re gonna need the prisoner here.”

“I ain’t got the keys.”

“Shawn? Give the man the keys.” The order was clear, as was Shawn’s reluctance, but he pulled the jailhouse keys from his pocket and tossed them rather contemptuously at John, who caught them one-handed. Chris nodded. “Go down there, give the keys to Riley. Get him ta bring Randy down here. I got another job fer you.”

John looked a little wary. “Yeah? What about Randy?”

“There’s a little cell at the back of the courtroom we have here – ain’t much but it keeps the prisoners there while we get things ready. Randy can go in there and I’ll have Noble watchin’ over him.” John didn’t look convinced and Chris knew it wasn’t ideal, so he thought fast. “And a citizen, just as a witness so he can’t scream ‘bout no unfairness. How ‘bout Morrison? He’d do it and I bet he’s millin’ ‘round outside. Or Barrett, he’s closer and ‘bout the man’s size if he tries anythin’ funny. But ya might need him.”

He was greeted by blank looks from everyone and grinned. “Okay, here’s how it is. Sheriff, go give the keys ta Riley and get him ta bring the prisoner down here. Then I want him ta go get Mizanin, that’s Randy’s lawyer, right? Stayin’ up on Miss Mickie’s farm?”

Shawn’s expression took on a decidedly sick look at the news and Chris surmised he hadn’t heard. “He’ll need his lawyer, due process and all. Then he can get back down here, take over from Noble. Meanwhile, you need ta go up ta the Helmsley place. I hear they might be hidin’ out an arsonist down there.”

John suddenly grinned. “I can do that.”

“I hear he might be dangerous and it ain’t like we got a lot of men ta spare.” Chris looked thoughtful a moment, quite calculatedly. “Ya can deputise a few men, tell ‘em they’ll be paid fer their time. I don’t mind who, just pick out a few people ya think ya can trust.”

“I’ll go—“ said Shawn hurriedly.

“No, ya won’t.” Chris gave him a pointed look that told Shawn all he needed to know about how much Chris knew about what was happening. “I need ya here. Right with me at all times. Fer appearances if nothin’ else. And while you guys’re bringin’ this man back here fer a trial of his own, I need ta go find twelve guys ta act on the jury.”

“Ya can’t oversee this trial!” blustered Shawn. “Yer too involved!”

“I know,” returned Chris with some amusement. “But so’re you, so forget it. I’ll ask Lawler ta do it. Old gossip’ll be millin’ ‘round out there.”

John nodded at Chris, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to split his face and took off, leaving Chris and Evan feeling rather triumphant and Shawn looking like he wanted to faint or throw up.

Chris glanced at the two men, wishing he was able to pull his lover into a kiss – that would be his next act just as soon as they were alone. “Come on you two,” he said with not entirely forced cheer. “Let’s go face the public.”

To say that when Jerry Lawler and Wade Barrett found themselves summoned to the courthouse they were surprised—especially when the person who had summoned them was Chris Jericho, the man who was supposedly out of commission for the foreseeable future… well, as far as Jerry was concerned anyway. Though Wade was concerned about his friend getting up and about and attempting to move around so much so soon he couldn’t deny that he was delighted to see him out of his bed; even he hadn’t been sure that that was something he would be doing anytime soon. He couldn’t stop the smile that curved his lips as he shook Chris’ hand, “Good t’see you’ve recovered, Mayor.”

Shawn cringed as Chris’ title was used without any deference to him and Chris had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep him from releasing the smirk that he wanted to let out. “Thanks, Wade,” he nodded his head and then clasped the obviously stunned Jerry’s hand in his own as well and gifted him with a broad smile, “Jerry, good ta see you. Thanks fer comin’ by at such short notice.” Jerry looked as though he had seen a ghost and momentarily Chris had to fight the urge to laugh at it.

“N-No problem,” Jerry nodded his head, seeming to recover himself as he then gave a bright smile, reminiscent of his usual grin, “Glad t’see that you’re alrigh’ Mr Mayor… what exactly d’ya need me for though?” the kid that had been collared by Dr Ross to go and fetch the two men had walked away with a few shiny pennies in hand and not much information.

Looking at the man Chris said levelly, “We reckon that we have the real culprit behind my attack comin’ in today an’ I need ya to reside over the trial. I can’, obviously, an’ neither can Michaels.”

Momentarily the other man looked confused, “Why not?”

Chris levelled Shawn with a glare and then blonde man looked down at his boots for a moment, unable to meet his gaze, “He’s too involved,” was Chris’ eventual response but Jerry had seen their reactions. Shaking himself slightly to bring back his cheerier demeanour Chris then smiled at Jerry, “Do you mind?” Jerry immediately shook his head, puffing himself up when he realised the implication of importance he was going to achieve from this task. Chris knew he’d picked the right guy; Jerry might be a gossip but he was black and white when it came to fairness.

~:~

As the jailhouse door opened and a beaming John walked in, Noble, Alex and Randy were all completely at a loss. When the key-ring was lifted into the air and the solitary key jingled they all looked non-plussed, but when John moved forward and unlocked the door to the cell there was a collective gasp from the two deputies behind him, one that John barely registered because his eyes were focused upon his lover’s. There was a small colour of disbelief in the depths, but the glimmer of triumph was even stronger. He had no doubt in that moment that if they could have risked it one or the other would have pulled the other in close to kiss each other senseless and get the contact they had been denied previously.

Remembering that they had an audience (though more for Noble’s benefit than anything else) John then turned around and tossed the keys to Alex who fumbled only momentarily before he caught it in his hands. “I got some work fer ya t’do boys,” he started, conscious of Randy’s body-heat at his back even though there was at least an inch or so space between them, “Riley, ya gotta go to Miss James’ farm an’ fetch her an’ Mr Mizanin, Randy’s trial will start as soon as we can sort everything out.” Riley’s eyes widened impressively and John could see that he was trying to fight a smile at the announcement, “So me an’ Noble here,” Jamie jumped, flushing slightly at being addressed by John directly, “-Are takin’ Randy down to wait in the courthouse until the trial starts. So, let’s get to it fellas, we ain’t got all day an’ there’s lots to be done!” John was positively jolly by that point in time.

If there had ever been a point where Randy appeared to be a man who had become dejected in captivity you wouldn’t have known it then; even as they were walking towards the courthouse the tall outlaw had the subtle, sexual (though that could have just been John’s mind wandering to the gutter since he knew what those hips could do) and wholly predatory gait to his walk. John had a hand on the outlaw’s arm, as did Alex on the other, but the three of them at least knew it was just for show. People were beginning to gather on the streets and John had the feeling that news of a certain someone returning had already gotten around.

Spotting a blonde and brunette that he had been intending to use for the second part of his mission, John called, “Mr Ziggler? Mr Morrison? C’n I borro’ you two gentlemen please? Wait there.” The two men looked confused but nodded their ascent as they watched John lead Randy inside the jailhouse with the two deputies. Once they had him secured in the new cell –the outlaw gracefully accepting the playfully simpering apology Chris gave him, fighting a large smirk- Noble was set to watch the man and John asked Wade if he would accompany him, the Brit nodding his head in puzzlement and following once he had gotten the all-clear from Chris that he wasn’t needed there.

Evan caught Randy’s eye and the outlaws winked at one another, Randy bearing his teeth in a faux-smile as he caught sight of Shawn; the man was looking considerably green around the gills and Randy was tempted to tell the man he should sit down. Once he was outside John motioned Wade, John and Dolph close. “What’s this about, sheriff?” Dolph asked, John giving a puzzled look.

John levelled the three men with a look, “There was an arson attack on Miss James’ farm las’ night an’ we know where he’s hidin’ an’ we need t’go fetch ‘im—“the men looked a bit confused for all the build-up of that news, but John wasn’t finished.

“An’ we believe that the arsonist is t’same fella who yer wife saw, Mr Ziggler. The same fella that attacked Chris.” If he had had the men’s attention before he definitely had them that time around. “We need t’get goin’ fellas; sooner we get ‘im the better an’ the element of surprise c’n really ‘elp us considerin’ this guy’s undeniably dangerous.” Nodding with serious looks on their faces John then led the men so that they could all collect a weapon and their horses, the three of them soon setting off on the trail towards Helmsley house, adrenaline building in them already.

It seemed that Hunter had anticipated their arrival because as soon as they were pulling into the Helmsley courtyard the man himself was there, looking peaky and wearing a decidedly false smile, “Gentlemen, is something wrong?” he spread his hands in a gesture of submission but John wasn’t stupid. “Mayor Jericho returned to duty not too long ago—“ Hunter went so pale that John though he was going to keel over, “An’ we’ve got good information that an arsonist who attacked Miss James last night—“the white had turned a sickly puce, “-is staying in your home.”

“There isn’t—“Hunter started, but John was pushing past him already, much to the amusement and surprise of his three companions.

“Don’ be playin’ innocent Helmsley. This man’s dangerous an’ we wanna get ‘im as soon as possible—“he turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Hunter, “D’ya want yer wife an’ children potentially in danger? No? Well then, stand aside.” After all, if Hunter wanted to try and play the victim, as though this stranger had forced him to let him stay then he shouldn’t protest too hard. As John walked into the parlour area though, a low cry left him as he found himself being charged into the wall, a strong shoulder wedged into his mid-section. Fuck, he hadn’t been expecting that.

As John went down his attacker went barrelling out of the nearest door, several shouts greeting his appearance. Growling at the way he had been so spectacularly one-upped John forced himself to his feet quickly and headed out into the back of the house, out to the gardens, where he could see Wade struggling with the tall bloke, stunned to find he was massive even when contrasted to Wade. Dolph was beside John Morrison, the man holding what seemed to be a bloody lip—John would later discover that John had been slammed into a door as the bounty fled past them. Bringing his gun out of his holster, John pointed it at the assailant’s head, “Calm it down fella, or I’ll blow yer brains out!”

Of course, that wasn’t something that John could actually risk, but he didn’t know that. The man seemed to freeze, dark eyes levelling on him. Wade had him secure in a headlock but for the moment John thought that he wasn’t actually going to behave and might actually tip John’s hand on the matter, forcing him to shoot him if only for the safety of himself and his posse. However, for some reason or another, the assailant merely went limp in Wade’s hold and John removed the cuffs from his belt and tossed them to Dolph, the blonde catching them and moving to Dave. He was wary, but John still had the gun trained on the other as he was locked in.

As they all made their way back indoors Dave locked eyes with Hunter and smiled viciously, “Not comin’ t’see how the final scene of your scheme plays out, Hunt?”


	35. Chapter Thirty-Four: Unwelcome Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial gets underway and there's no denying the fireworks. However, seeking justice for his new acquaintance isn't the most surprising thing to happen to Ted that day.

Alex felt as though he was running on the wind as he went hurtling at potentially break-neck speed towards James farm. Jumping off of his horse before it had barely slowed he patted the animal’s neck and allowed it to wander to the nearby trough, doubting Mickie would mind, before he then went running up to the door. Knocking on it in a manner that would probably be construed as childish and therefore backfire all of the other attempts he had made to seem grown-up and mature, but he didn’t care. The door opened, revealing a rather nervous looking Mike, and Alex didn’t hesitate to throw his arm around the man’s shoulders and draw him in for a swift hug, “Smarten yerself up mister lawyer, yeh’ve got a big afternoon comin’ up!”

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Mike looked completely confused, even more so when he found himself being left in the doorway as Alex went bounding towards the kitchen. Were it not for the ruined couch in the living-room one wouldn’t have even realised that there had been a rather dangerous arson attack happen there the night before. Mickie was standing in the kitchen, with what seemed to be a butter-churn, and when she saw Alex her brows rose high, “What’s up yer chute, boy? I ain’t seen ya lookin’ this excited since ya first gotcha deputy badge.” A fond smile touched her lips though there was still some slight unease lingering in her eyes as she waited for his response.

Alex, well known for his excitable nature, (something Mike had discovered first-hand that night they had gone back to his home together) seemed to be trying to formulate his words, but then when he did begin speaking the words came out so fast that they all seemed to run together into one incomprehensible sound. Alex was breathing heavily by the time he was finished and Mickie and Mike were both standing before him looking as though he had just sung the National Anthem at them both in French. Backwards.

“What?” Mike eventually said and Alex scrubbed his hands over his face before taking a breath and readying himself; with each second that passed they were wasting time and John had said that he needed to get the pair down to the courthouse as soon as possible; for Mickie so she could take her place and watch as her assailant was brought to justice and for Mike to be able to get his bearings together enough to ready for the trial.

“Mayor Jericho is awake,” he started, hearing Mickie gasp in shock and happiness, Mike looking equally stumped even though both of them kept quiet otherwise and didn’t interrupt him, “-an’ he’s taken control back from mayor- sheriff—Mr Michaels. He’s arranged Randy’s trial fer this afternoon an’ he’s gettin’ everythin’ ready in town. We think we’ve got the fella that came t’attack ya too, Mickie.”

It was almost frightening how in tandem the two brunettes were, because their eyes widened to almost comic proportions before they both yelped and then headed out of the kitchen. Mickie shouted something about changing into something else and Mike said something about needing a wash but Alex had to admit he hadn’t caught much over the decibels that had blasted his eardrums. Sighing out a heavy breath Alex couldn’t deny he felt much better knowing the real bad-guy was going to prison, and not just because it was part-and-parcel of his job to ensure that justice was served correctly—he was also glad because it meant that Mike was no longer going to be looking over his shoulder for faceless spectres to come and chase him in the night as he had been before.

Mickie soon came back into the room in a nice blouse and skirt (she was fond of her trousers, that was no lie, but she found it easier when she was in town to dress a little more feminine if only to get some of the other girls to let her alone about her clothing choices) with her curled hair left loose about her face in a minor rebellious showing which caused Alex to smile… the smile slipped off of his face and his breath caught in his lungs though when Mike came back in. Earlier in the day he must have pressed his clothing, and though he was still looking just-slightly more exhausted than usual and lacking his usual cologne, the beauty the man possessed never failed to knock Alex for six. Mike was adjusting the cuffs of his shirt, smoothing down his jacket.

“Ready t’go?” Alex could feel heat blooming in his cheeks and prayed that the two thought it was because of his prior energy as opposed to seeing Mike in all of his well-dressed glory and with that more confident, borderline smirk on his face.

“If you could take Mickie back through to town, Alex,” Mike started, “I’d much appreciate it. I need to go home first and collect my case notes.”

Puzzlement crossed Alex’s face, “Mike, walkin’ from here t’your place and then the courthouse’d take ages—“it took him a few moments to remember Mike’s ridiculous disdain of horses and he had to resist to roll his eyes at the other and chastise him for being so silly over something like that.

“Mickie’ll need someone t’take her through—“ Mike started, knowing he’d much rather walk than brave yet another damn horse, but Mickie (the traitor) was grinning like a she-devil as she innocently intoned that she could ride through to town with them on her own merit, and that she could loan Mike a horse.

“Or,” Mickie’s innocent tone continued though neither of the men before her were fooled by it, “Mike could ride on the back-o your horse, Alex, an’ ya can take him home before bringin’ him across t’the courthouse.” It took all of Mickie’s self-control not to laugh when she saw how red both men became from the offer, exchanging a look with one another before their eyes flew away from the others once more and they both looked at their shoes or the ceiling.

“Well?” she prodded, still fighting laughter and Alex cleared his throat before nodding.

“Well, I’m alright with it if Mike is…” and they really didn’t have time to dither. If he and Mike kicked up too much of a fuss about it then Mickie would undoubtedly find it suspicious. It was on that note that the trio made their way outside and Alex agilely kicked himself back into his saddle as Mickie went to fetch her own horse. Looking down to where Mike was wearily dithering at his horse’s side, Alex wrapped one hand firmly around the reins and then extended the other to Mike, “C’mon hot-shot, we ain’t got all day.” His words were teasing but the smile was soft.

Grasping the hand (and with some embarrassing fumbling) Mike managed to get onto the horse himself, biting his lip to keep from moaning or something else equally embarrassing as his groin rested smugly against Alex’s ass and his thighs pressed around the other’s hips—now was not the time to be thinking about things like that. His arms wrapped around Alex’s strong waist and he chanted a silent mantra that he was going to be fine, he wasn’t going to fall from the horse and break his neck, until Mickie came up alongside them, looking as at ease and confident upon the horse as Alex did.

Grinning at the sight of Mike looking like a child being confronted with the boogeyman, Mickie clicked her tongue and then gently ushered her horse forward. It was a beautiful animal, a brown so dark it was almost black, and strong, well-muscled; obviously the one Mickie used most for the farm work. Their trip back to town was heaven and hell all in one for Alex, because feeling Mike’s body bouncing against his in the same motions that the horse gave in a rather intimate manner, was making his head spin even as he knew that they had much more important things to be worrying about at that moment in time.

Assuring Alex that she would head straight to the courthouse, Mickie then separated from the two men and Alex veered his horse around to Mike’s home. It was with fond eyes that Alex watched as Mike’s composure became flustered as he scrabbled off of the horse and then ran inside to collect what he needed. When he came back out the process was repeated in reverse to get him back onto the horse before they got to town once more. Mike was blushing as he struggled off of the horse once more, especially when he saw the crowd not too far away from them, but in retrospect he needn’t have worried because the people were all focusing on one thing: Chris Jericho.

The mayor seemed a little peaky but otherwise strong, and Mike had to admit he wasn’t overly surprised to see the small, dark haired male standing just behind Chris and looking completely relaxed although he was probably completely alert. It seemed the mayor had been speaking for a bit of time already because he was already in the swing of his speech as he and Alex drew close enough to hear, “We already have a few volunteers fer the jury, but if anyone else’s interested then we’d much appreciate yer cooperation on the matter. We have a gentleman in custody, an’ the real criminal on his way now.” Mike almost keeled over in surprise at that; they knew who it was?

“If y’got someone in custody an’ someone on the way, then who did it?” asked a woman’s voice from the gathered crowd. Mike rolled his eyes, from the look on Chris’ face the mayor was fighting not to do the same.

“That’s what the trial’s there ta find out—“ Chris began as Mike pushed his way through the crowd, Alex right behind him. Chris glanced over at him as he managed to get to the front. “Nice ta see ya Mr Mizanin. Right on time. I’m gonna select us some jurors, I’m sure Deputy Riley can lead ya to ya client.”

Mike nodded. “Good ta see ya back in action Mr Mayor,” he said rather formally, suddenly feeling a little nervous – there were a lot of people and he’d bet every last one of them wanted to see the trial. The place would be packed and he couldn’t afford to make a mistake in front of them. But he was also exhilarated. This was exactly the kind of action he’d always wanted to see, property laws and probate be damned. Chris gave him a small acknowledgement as Mike walked into the building. There was indeed a small cell behind the courtroom that was barely used, deputy Noble was sitting on apparent guard in front of it even though he didn’t look too alert. Alex didn’t like that, given how there had been an attack on Mickie the night before and Chris before that and who was to say that the mysterious man that John had gone to arrest was the right one? But Randy seemed fine, sitting on the small bench that seemed like it had been made for a child against his large frame. That might have been in part to the two men also sitting there and taking no notice at all of the deputy – Cody and Ted, the men that had hired him and got him caught up in all this.

Ted rose as Mike approached, looking slightly nervous. “Mr Mizanin, nothin’s gonna go wrong is it?”

“Relax,” said Cody before Mike could reply. “It’s gonna be fine Ted. We got all kinds of evidence that Randy’s innocent.”

“But we need to make sure all our witnesses are here.” Mike turned to Alex, looking slightly apologetic. “Would ya mind makin’ sure they’re all here? I need Miss Maria and Miss Mickie. Chris, we know about.” He made no mention of Andy Morrison, Randy noticed and the man went up in his estimation. It would have been easy for him to pull the kid onto the stand too, given as how Mike knew he’d also seen the attacker.

It was tempting to watch Alex’s ass as the man left, but instead he eyed Randy critically. The man needed a shave, much as the scruff added to a roguishly sexy aura it would do them no good with no ladies on the jury and he didn’t want them to think of Randy as a rogue. He wasn’t packing a razor though. “Take off your hat,” he said, raising a hand when Randy looked ready to argue. “Just do it.” Randy obeyed, hair surprisingly well behaved beneath it. Mike supposed it could have been worse. “Now try to look more wholesome.” Randy stared blankly at him and Cody burst into laughter. Mike allowed himself a smile; wholesome wasn’t a look that Randy pulled off well.

“Okay. When you’re on the stand, stick to short answers. I’m gonna ask if you did it, gonna ask if you had any reason to harm Chris. I’ll ask you why you were seen at Chris’ and when you left. Just tell the truth, you had to have a few words with him and left, he was fine. And then...?”

“I went fer a walk ‘round,” said Randy honestly. “Ended up headin’ back when I heard all the fuss and that was when someone said they’d seen me waitin’ fer Chris and I got arrested.”

“Good, perfect.” Mike nodded. “Short and to the point. “Then we’ll pull out the other witnesses, prove that you weren’t near Chris when he was beat up...”

He had planned to say more, instructing Randy how to behave and how to look on the stand but he heard a door opening and went to put his head around to look into the courtroom. It seemed the jury had been selected and he wasn’t entirely surprised to see that both Callaway brothers had been chosen – if Chris really did want to bring in the man he believed had attacked him and he was as big as was claimed, then there was reason to have a few damned big men hanging around and the Callaway’s certainly were that. Jerry Lawler was with them, looking as if he was about to burst with pride and it suddenly occurred to Mike that he could hardly be asked to step in for the new suspect if they were going to ask about the James farm the night before, he was a witness and couldn’t be a lawyer too. Which meant Cole would have to step in, if the man asked for legal help. Mike chuckled quietly, with the animosity between the senior partner, the temporary judge and the doctor (who would certainly be in attendance) it would be fun to watch. If he got through the first trial unscathed.

“They’ll be filin’ people in and then they’ll be bringin’ you to the stand,” he told Randy, who didn’t seem especially nervous. Not as nervous as Mike was starting to feel anyway at the thought of all those onlookers. “Might take a good few minutes. Fer the love of god, try to look like yer tellin’ the whole truth and don’t give any nasty looks to anyone. Anyone. Mr Smith, maybe you and Cody should think of findin’ a good spot near the front before they start lettin’ folk in here.”

“Gotcha.” Cody rose and pulled Ted to his feet by his hand, a familiar gesture that Mike found himself unsurprised at. “Come on Ted. Good luck Randy.”

“I’ll be outta these cuffs by tonight and you’d better run if you’ve been in my stuff,” replied Randy casually. Cody grinned and headed out, releasing Ted’s hand before they were seen by anyone – if Jamie noticed, he didn’t comment. Mike had noticed that he didn’t comment on much and wondered what the man’s take was on the current events... he supposed it didn’t matter now.

~:~

Chris might not be overseeing the trial but he knew enough not to let Jerry take over entirely; he ushered the crowd into the seats and quickly realised there were going to be a lot standing. That was just fine by him. He didn’t let Shawn out of his sight for a moment and ‘suggested’ to the man that he took a seat in the prosecutors chair to wait his turn. When Shawn looked outraged by the suggestion, Chris merely shrugged. “You arrested him and saw fit ta keep him in the jailhouse, you better explain yer reasonin’.” It was clearly an order and Shawn pulled his hat down further, sloping off to the seat he’d been allocated. Chris supposed he was considering damage control and wondered just how Hunter’s presence would throw him off his game – if Hunter bothered to show up of course. But the man’s hands were dirty as hell, it was unlikely that he’d not want to see just how much of it stuck. If John brought Batista back in of course. Chris was starting to get concerned, it had been a long time and he knew that John would want to be there for the start.

Things were just settling down and Chris, sitting in the front of the spectators beside Evan, Cody and Ted next to them, was starting to wonder if things had gone bad at the Helmsley place. Maybe he had been too determined to take action and made a bad call... but then the doors opened again and John walked in, heading their way with a smile on his face. The smile wasn’t entirely genuine and Chris tipped his head slightly in a clearly questioning manner.

“Took a good hit to the stomach,” John told him as he slid onto the bench beside Chris. “Hurts like a bitch, that’s why I look constipated.”

“I don’t think Randy’s gonna mind that,” replied Evan slyly, barely audible. Chris poked him in the ribs slightly and Evan squeaked and fell silent.

“What happened?” asked Chris, keeping it quiet and hoping no one was listening in.

“We got ‘im,” John replied. “Took him to the jailhouse – put up a helluva fight. I left Wade, Morrison and Ziggler there ta keep an eye on him. And I brought the key back with me.” He pulled said key from his pocket and spun it around on his finger, letting his eyes go to Shawn. Shawn was watching the key with a sick look and John’s smile became more genuine. He hoped Shawn knew what it meant.

“Good work,” said Chris with a grin. “Hey, if things go the way I been hopin’, I might wanna offer you a job.”

John looked slightly taken aback but it was at that moment that someone new pushed their way into the courtroom – Hunter himself. His wife was right behind him, looking both scared and defiant. John was willing to bet that she didn’t know everything that had gone on with her husband, but she probably knew enough. Hunter’s face was thunderous, eyes going to Chris and narrowing. Chris tipped his hat and the man merely glared a few more seconds before turning his attention to finding a seat, lip curling when he was unsuccessful. There were too many people there and none were moving.

“I’m lookin’ forward ta this,” Chris said in a low voice as Jerry banged his gavel, the room immediately falling quiet. This apparently was Noble’s cue to bring Randy out and he appeared with his hand on the man’s arm, Mike accompanying them and looking completely unflappable. The only sign of any kind of nerves was as the lawyer searched out Alex in the crowd and gave a barely-there smile as he saw the deputy, sitting almost directly behind Ted and Cody.

Randy also did a search of the courtroom, eyes lingering on John awhile before he took in everyone else. He hadn’t seen Mickie in two years but she was there, looking as wildly pretty as ever even if she was wearing a skirt this time. Melina had all of her children with her, although her husband was nowhere in sight. And right at the front was Shawn, who was looking a nervous wreck. Randy sent him a smile, one that promised a good amount of retribution. Mike cleared his throat softly and Randy looked away, heading for the stand.

“Okay son, what’s yer name?” asked Jerry, making Chris roll his eyes. The man was taking it seriously, but he refused to show that side.

“Randal Orton.”

John raised his eyebrows a little. He hadn’t really been expecting that Randy would use his given name, since he was wanted in other places too. But none of those places had his real name he supposed, what harm could it do now? Randy would probably be gone the moment he was cleared. The thought made John’s smile waver slightly and he forced the thought away. Randy would leave, but at least they would all be vindicated.

“Mr Mizanin acts for the accused, Sheriff Michaels is prosecutin’.” Jerry knew the spiel, he’d seen enough court hearings but they were usually a lot less serious. Still, Chris supposed that as long as what needed to be said was said, it was all good. “Sheriff, you wanna start?”

Shawn clearly didn’t, but he’d also done a number of these and he was in his familiar place. He rose, looked around the courtroom and suddenly faltered. Chris imagined that he’d gotten sight of Hunter, standing at the back of the room and looking ready to spit tacks. Rubbing at the back of his neck, Shawn addressed the court, his voice as calm as ever.

“Two days ago, I got word that there’d been an attack on Mayor Jericho. I went out there ta see and the man was injured pretty bad. A lady had seen the attack and described the assailant, who matched the description of the man on trial here. Another lady saw him waitin’ fer the Mayor a few minutes before the attack happened and could name him. And he admitted they’d been arguin’. I find those damned good grounds ta arrest this man and ta find him guilty.”

Mike rose from his seat, giving Jerry a smooth grin before turning and addressing the jury. “That’s all true. The mayor was attacked, we all know that. The man was described as big, the lady in question hadn’t seen him before and Mr Orton’s a stranger in town, to some at least. And he was with Chris not long before he was attacked. But. He also left before the attack. The lady who saw the attack says that he was not the man he saw. And another man fitting this same description has been seen involved in other illegalities around Bone Orchard while Mr Orton was locked up in jail. This trial won’t just have you findin’ Randy innocent, it’ll have you all wonderin’ why he was locked away accused of it at all.”

Jerry nodded. “Okay Sheriff, you wanna question the accused?”

Shawn stood again, walking in front of Randy, who was still cuffed but sorely tempted to drop the chain between his wrists around Shawn’s neck and throttling him. “What were ya there ta see Chris about?”

Randy leaned back slightly, aiming to look slightly bored. “I met Chris the last time I was here. Wanted ta catch up.”

“You said you was arguin’.”

“We was. Not about anythin’ serious.” Okay, so that part was a lie, but he wasn’t about to tell the truth there, not if Evan wanted to keep living in this town and certainly not if Chris wanted to. “One of my friends is thinkin’ of stayin’ in town, gettin’ a job. Chris and me disagreed on whether it was better ta stay in one place or ta see the country.”

Shawn clearly didn’t like that answer. “You get violent?”

“Over that? Nah.” Randy looked over at Chris. “We shook hands before we went our separate ways.”

“Seems mighty strange no one else saw ya ‘til long after Chris had been hurt.” Shawn raised an eyebrow. “Maybe because ya were there all along. Snuck out and then doubled back, joined the crowd.”

Randy shook his head. “No one saw me, no. But that’s not what happened.”

“And how do you and yer ‘friends’ make money while yer out seein’ the country?”

Randy hadn’t expected that one and he waited a beat. “We’ve worked on farms. Taken on odd jobs, done a few things ta make money, includin’ bein’ hired by the mayor of this town a while back. There’s always jobs ta be found if ya look.” Which wasn’t entirely the truth, but skirted it enough to be practically true.

“Been arrested before?”

“Yeah. When I was fifteen and got me a hold of some cheap hooch. Got thrown in the lockup and let out the next day.”

“Any other time?”

“No.” Which was true but more down to luck and skill than obeying the law.

“There a point ta this Sheriff?” Jerry looked unimpressed.

Shawn shrugged. “I think this man’s lyin’ on the stand and wastin’ all our times.”

Mike stood up right away. “That’s not true and there’s nothin’ to say that. He’s answered all your questions, you can’t go callin’ him a liar. May I?”

Jerry nodded assent and Mike stepped forward. “Randy, you were there just before Chris was attacked. You see anythin’, anyone?”

“I wish I did,” said Randy darkly. “I might’ve been able ta do somethin’.”

“You have any reason to hurt the mayor?”

“Hell no!” Randy looked over at Chris. “He’s been good ta us, why would I wanna hurt him?”

“I’m done questionin’ Mr Orton,” said Mike, glancing over at Chris. “Can I ask the mayor ta take the stand?”

Chris got up and moved to the seat Randy was vacating, Noble guiding him back to the cell in the back. He managed to give Randy a reassuring smile before the man was whisked off, confident that Randy couldn’t get into trouble back there – after all, Hunter and Shawn were in plain sight and Batista was in jail. Mike leaned against his desk, starting to enjoy himself in spite of his nerves. “How ya feelin’ Chris?”

“Like I been out drinkin’ all night long,” said Chris, to a muted laugh from the onlookers. “Head aches. ‘Part from that though, I’m doin’ okay.”

“Fit ta give evidence?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then can ya tell us what really happened that day?”

Chris nodded, noticing that everyone was quiet, not even a whisper in the court. “I went out ta see Miss James. I spoke ta Miss Layla on the way home and when I got there, Randy was waitin’ for me. I invited him in, we chatted some, argued a little and then like he said, shook hands and he left. I decided ta have a bite ta eat, made dinner and realised I hadn’t been out ta the well that day. So I went ta get some water and while I was out there, I noticed there was someone behind me. Next I know, I’m on the ground and my head’s poundin’.”

Mike leaned forward, having not heard this part. “You see who attacked ya?”

“I got a look at him,” said Chris casually, although he was raging inside about it all. But his time would come... “He was a huge fella, that’s the first thing I noticed. Sun was behind him but I could tell right off that I’d never seen him before. He was maybe my age, a bit older. Dark but not coloured. Real broad, much broader than Randy. And then he started kickin’ at me and I stopped noticin’ what he looked like and tried holdin’ him off instead.”

“But you lost consciousness?”

“Yeah.” Chris tried not to look ashamed.

“And it definitely wasn’t Randy?”

“Definitely.”

“Thanks Chris and I hope your head improves soon.” Mike took his seat again while Shawn stood up, noticeably uneasy at talking to Chris.

“Y’took a helluva knock ta the head,” he said abruptly. “Most thought ya weren’t gonna live.”

“I got a pretty thick skull,” returned Chris.

“May well as be, but ya were out cold fer a long time. Only came to this mornin’. Most people with head injuries, they forget things, get mixed up. You sure that didn’t happen ta you? No one came to ya with some story ‘bout what happened and it’s their version yer rememberin’?”

“A hundred per cent sure.” Chris’ voice was low and rather dangerous. “I know what happened and that was it. In fact, I could recognise him again if I saw him.”

“I don’t see how that can be, seein’ as how badly hurt ya were.” Shawn’s voice grew more confident. “And ya were arguin’ with Orton, ya both said so. He had a reason ta harm ya. What reason would a total stranger have?”

“What reason indeed?” Chris fixed Shawn with a glare. “Why doncha tell me why a stranger’d attack me?”

Shawn paused a moment then tore his gaze away, noticeably shaken. “I got nothin’ more ta ask,” he said awkwardly, making himself look even more suspicious – at least, that was what Chris thought to himself as he made his way back to Evan.

“Nothin’ ta worry about,” he whispered to his lover, cheering even further as Evan gave him a warm smile.

The rest of the trial continued in much the same vein; with the witnesses swearing Randy wasn’t the man they’d seen and Shawn trying to cast doubt on all of them. His own witness Layla could only say what everyone had already admitted about seeing Randy waiting for Chris. And Jim merely said that Chris’ injury had been inflicted by someone taller and strong, which no one was disputing.

It took less than two hours before the jury left the room, but everyone else stayed put. They weren’t anticipating having to wait long and weren’t disappointed; the twelve men were back in less than fifteen minutes and it was the older Callaway brother who read out the Not Guilty verdict.

John, who had been on tenderhooks and fearing the worst in spite of everything, jumped but managed to contain himself. Cody didn’t bother, giving a small whoop and causing a ripple of muted cheers through the room that Jerry let pass for a few moments before banging his gavel and ordering Randy’s release. Shawn buried his head in his hands a moment but when John got up and headed to him, he pulled out the key to Randy’s cuffs and handed it to the man without looking at him.

John hurried over to Randy, who had been brought out to see the verdict and uncuffed him, having to stop himself throwing his arms around the man and kissing him senseless. The cuffs gone, Randy rubbed at his wrist and beamed at John, looking far younger than his years.

Chris stood up and raised his voice over the growing noise. “Folks, we ain’t finished here! We got another suspect in custody and if the jury don’t mind givin’ up some more of their time, then we might as well deal with him since we’re all here already!”

None of the jury said they had to leave – this was the most exciting thing to happen in Bone Orchard in years and being in on it was very desirable. Jerry indicated that he was fine acting as judge again, but Chris pulled him to one side and had a quick word. Everyone was wild to know what had been said and they didn’t have to wait long for Jerry to address them all.

“Since Mr Orton was arrested by Sheriff Michaels, he was prosecutin’ that case. But Actin’ Sheriff Cena was the one to arrest this new guy and the mayor thinks it might be a better idea if he were ta see this through. That agreeable ta you, Sheriff Cena?”

John blinked slightly, not expecting that at all – but then, who else could they ask to do it? Shawn was a definite no. Chris couldn’t because he was the victim. And Riley would have to give evidence, as would Mike. He nodded slowly, thinking that he’d acted in the role before, when he was Sheriff of his home town. “That’s fine with me Mr Lawler. I’m gonna go get the suspect and be right back.”

None of the onlookers seemed ready to move, with the exception of Randy (who as a free man took a seat on the bench between Cody and Evan) and Shawn (who moved to stand near the back, not right next to Hunter but near enough). But there was nothing to do but gossip – or in the case of Randy, worry. As pleased as he was to get off, he just hoped that John had no problems getting Batista back to the court and to trial without incident.

As John vanished from the courthouse to go and fetch Batista, Ted gave Cody’s knee the smallest and most imperceptible squeeze, “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said quietly, smiling slightly to himself at the way the outlaw’s eyes widened a little bit in obvious unease regarding letting Ted go off on his own—even if it was only to the bathroom. “Save my seat?” the blonde flashed one of those shy, perfectly white smiles and Cody felt his brain melting and his stomach clenching; Ted was just too goddamn beautiful.

There was a slightly awkward moment (on Ted’s part at least) as neither Evan nor Randy moved their legs to make the process easier for him, meaning that he had to pretty much slide over their laps. Though he was blushing slightly from the action as the two outlaws smiled at him as though butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths, he felt better when Cody and Chris respectively elbowed the pair lightly to behave. Ducking through the crowd of people –and making sure to keep well away from Mr and Mrs Helmsley- Ted headed out of the courthouse’s stifling heat and into the fresh air with a sigh.

In truth he wasn’t altogether too sure whether he really needed to go to the outhouse for those reasons—the excitement was wreaking havoc on his stomach despite the fact he had had the greatest confidence that justice would be served in Randy’s case. Going to the nearest outhouse (and with some reluctance) Ted entered and spent a few moments checking to see whether or not his body was really seeking such necessities or whether he was just letting things overwhelm him. Coming back out of the outhouse though and going onto the street, Ted got the shock of his life.

His brothers, Brett and Mike, were standing outside of Wade’s saloon -their horses resting by the outside railing - and talking to one of the girls who worked there. Though he had been intending to duck back into the courthouse before they saw him, but it was a stroke of bad luck that the girl happened to look up from where she had been addressing them and spotted him. Before Ted could make some sort of signal to her to please, don’t tell them! she was already pointing him out, and looking quite pleased with herself in the process. Damn it! Ted braced himself as Brett and Mike both turned, locking eyes with him in surprise.

Maybe Ted had underestimated how fast the mail-carrier could work? But, how would they have known to look there for him? The blonde was frozen in place underneath the magnitude of the questions running through his head as his elder and younger brother hastened across the distance separating them.

“Ted!” Brett’s face broke into a brilliant smile, clearly pleased to see him… Mike, unsurprisingly, was looking slightly less thrilled; depending on how long they had been in the area they may well have already heard about everything that had been happening in town recently.

Shaking himself heavily, Ted blinked rapidly to get back to himself and asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Brett pouted heavily at him and Mike’s brow rose; clearly the lack of manners wasn’t lost on them but Ted didn’t care right then; he needed to know what the hell they were doing there, and he needed to try and get rid of them long enough for him to see the end of the trial through. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he felt his stomach drop—they had obviously figured out where he was somehow and come to fetch him home. He had been away for a very long time by that point and after the last letter that he had sent to their father he wouldn’t have been surprised if his family had gone off into one mass panic over his musings.

“We’re here for you, obviously,” Mike said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Mother and father are going spare back home out of worry for you, so we think it’s time ya let this whole thing go.” If people thought he was well articulated they hadn’t heard anything until his brother Mike spoke. Out of the three Brett had the most casual speech manner, just as point of reference.

“I don’ want to go home yet!” Ted could feel his cheeks flushing with anger at their presumptuousness.

“We thought yeh were jus’ gonna ride around for a little while an’ then come home,” Brett said, catching Ted’s hand in both of his and looking up at the taller blonde pleadingly, “We’ve missed ya at home, an’ business han’t been the same without ya…”

The way the younger brother trailed off had Ted immediately sensing that there was something more than brotherly concern that had spurred them into trekking such a distance to find him. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, “How long’ve you been travellin’ to come and find me?” he asked of the pair, one looking to the sky and the other the ground in response.

“Three days,” Mike eventually admitted and Ted wanted to curse; although he suspected on some level that maybe it was lucky that they hadn’t arrived sooner, when things had really been kicking off. They would have dragged him away kicking and screaming if they had thought there was even the faintest chance something dangerous may befall him.

“What’s so damn urgent that I come home now?” Ted demanded, in no mood for beating about the bush or making pretences any longer.

The hands Brett had around his own tightened and Mike’s face took on that look that told him he was apologetic and yet not, and was anticipating that Ted might get mad. An official looking letter was removed from inside of Mike’s tailored jacket and handed to Ted; it bore their family seal on it. “Father wants ya home as soon as possible, so that you can meet… can meet—“ he and Brett exchanged a look until Mike forced out, “-meet your new fiancée.” 

For what seemed like an age there was no response, and then Ted choked out, “My WHAT?!”


	36. Chapter Thirty-Five: The Truth Will Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial reaches its dramatic end, with the truth coming out once and for all. Meanwhile, whilst everyone else is celebrating Ted has to break his unhappy news to his beloved Cody.

Upon entering the jailhouse John was admittedly a little wary as to how the captive might react when they attempted to let him out; he had fought them like a trooper back at the Helmsley house after all, and who was to say he wouldn’t try to do the same thing again? The only extra thing that worked in his favour aside from the fact he had three able-bodied men at the ready was that they had kept Dave cuffed upon locking him up… funnily enough the sight didn’t inspire as much righteous anger in him as it had when Randy had been the recipient of such treatment.

The big man was sitting on the bench across the cell, his long legs draped out before him and his bound hands resting atop his lap. Upon hearing the door open he looked up and caught John’s eyes before sending him the tired variation of a smirk, “I tek it yer’re here t’send me up t’river, sheriff?” he drawled and John moved forward to unlock the door.

“I’m here t’take ya t’yer trial,” John returned evenly, refusing to be goaded one way or another. After all, if this man cooperated and told who the real driving forces behind the situation was then he’d get imprisonment as opposed to the rope.

Dave snorted, “Trial? I’ll betcha already measured up t’noose.”

John’s hand paused mid-process of opening the door and he looked Dave square in his winter-cold dark eyes. “Lemme ask ya somethin’?” he said and Dave shrugged and nodded, “Go ahead; ain’t like I got somethin’ t’be rushin’ fer.”

Ignoring the quip John merely asked, straightforwardly, “Didja attack Miss James an’ Mayor Jericho on yer own merit?” he sincerely doubted that he had but this was what he’d be asking him in court and the man’s answer could seriously affect the situation. For a moment it seemed as though Dave wouldn’t answer and John sighed heavily.

As the door opened though and Dave stepped out he simply responded, “Nah, I got paid fer my services. Money’s sittin’ on that table there in fact.” Dolph had found it in the man’s pocket wrapped in with a piece of material and figured that it would be appropriate to remove it from the man.

The sheer amount of dollars crammed together in that bundle had John’s eyes widening and he looked around for one of the small bags they sometimes had around for evidences and to collect fines. Throwing one across to Morrison he asked, “Wouldja pack that money up please, John?” he then looked at Dolph and Wade and addressed them too, “An’ then couldja all follow me? We got a trial to finish. Let’s see if we can’t get to the bottom of this’n too.”

Though the three men looked perplexed they did as they were told, following John and the surprisingly compliant criminal out of the jailhouse. As they walked, Wade couldn’t resist asking the man, “Aren’t you scared of the noose?” Lord knows that had been one of the driving factors that had led to him fleeing his home country, but the criminal before him merely offered a cold smile.

“I ain’t got nothin’ t’fear from death ‘cause I ain’t got nothin’ left to lose; that what was precious t’me was taken from me long ago.” He sounded so matter of fact, so sincere. It was almost frightening.

As they got to the courthouse though, John slowed and his brow furrowed when he realised who was standing not too far away from the door, two men seemingly trying to pull him with them: Ted. Had it not been for the fact that one of the men looked the spit of Ted save for darker hair and a much rounder face, John would have jumped to serious conclusions. As it was he managed to keep his cool enough to call lightly, “Everythin’ alrigh’ there, Ted?” as they drew closer.

The blonde and the two companions startled and John was surprised to see that Ted looked genuinely just shy of furious; he had seen him upset and most certainly irritated, but he had never seen him like this before. He seemed to pale and calm down somewhat when he caught sight of who John was leading by his cuffs before he forced a smile, “No sheriff, nothin’s wrong; my brothers just took me by surprise, that’s all.”

A suspicious look crossed John’s face but since he couldn’t cause a scene he merely nodded, “If yeh’re sure.”

Returning the nod Ted looked to Wade, “Mr Barrett, might my brothers stay in mine and John’s room for a while? I don’ want them to end up gettin’ lost wandering and I’d much like to see the end of the trial.” The Englishman nodded and Ted thanked him, assuring he would cover anything that had which would be billed, before grabbing both men by their wrists and tugging the unprotesting, if surprised brothers along.

Dolph was the one to offer the thought they were all thinking, “He looks mighty unhappy t’see ‘em considerin’ that they’re his brothers.” Giving a non-committal sound, John pulled Dave after him and through a side-door into the courthouse which would enable him to take Dave right to the prosecution stand. As soon as people registered their appearance everyone seemed to freeze, John’s voice seeming to boom in the silence even though he wasn’t being especially loud.

“Settle down everyone! Mr Ziggler, Mr Barrett, Mr Morrison, I’m much obliged fer ya help; see me later an’ we’ll sort out payment alrigh’?” the three men nodded and made swift work of joining the masses: John and Dolph by their respective wives and Wade found himself sitting beside Justin, who was sitting on his aunt’s side. There was a small sound like a whimper and it took John a moment to realise that it was Maria—her face had grown shockingly pale and her eyes glinted slightly with fear but she kept her head high and her posture unwavering. Dolph had sure better be proud of her. Mike was also looking a little wary and John noticed that Alex was watching the man as though ready to jump in and catch him if he keeled over.

However, admirably, Mike merely stepped down from the prosecution position and made his way to stand back into the crowd unless he was called by John. Everyone in the room seemed awed by this man, and although the distinctions between he and Randy were clear it was easy to see also how people could have confused them. “Mister…” Jerry started after banging his gavel and effectively silencing and low buzz of chatter that had filled the courthouse; it had been rumbling like a hoard of angry bees.

Dave turned his head and coolly responded with, “Batista.” If you wanted to get technical his surname was actually Bautista, but he hadn’t used it since the murder of his wife and child, going by his business-name instead.

“Mr Batista,” Jerry nodded, “Would you like legal counsel?”

Looking almost amused by the question Dave shook his dark head, “No need. I don’ got nothin’ t’hide,” not anymore. As long as he took down Hunter and Shawn with him he didn’t care what happened to him. It was like he’d told Wade: he had nothing left to live for. As John was preparing his opening statement (he was obviously no legal man, but he had a pretty good mouth on him when it came to public speaking) Ted managed to slip back into the courthouse and he mumbled a few swift apologies as he made his way back to where his lover, and lover’s friends were sitting. The smile of relief that Cody had had at the other’s return fell immediately when he saw how red in the face Ted was and how glassy his eyes appeared. Concern and protectiveness immediately filled him, but before he could ask what was wrong with Ted, John began speaking.

“David Batista,” John looked at him, “Do you deny the allegations laid against ya that ya assaulted Mayor Chris Jericho—“he pointed out the stony-faced blonde and then continued, “-and also attempted an arson against the property of Miss James?” he pointed out the brunette woman who was sitting there with her hands clasped in her lap and her head held high.

For a moment it seemed as though Dave would deny everything, claim that he had been bullied into admitting to anything, but he merely nodded his head and responded in a voice that could have been referring to the weather, “I did. My employer offered me a generous sum if I came into town and ‘took care of some business for him’.”

A low thunderous outbreak of chatter greeted the words and Randy could see, with no small amount of satisfaction, that Shawn looked as though he was going to be sick as he wished for the ground to open up and swallow him. Banging his gavel several times, surprise written across his own face, Jerry continued, “F-For proprieties sake we gotta asked the witnesses if this is the man they saw.” Nodding his head, John then called Maria, Mike and Chris to the stand respectively and asked them the same questions: is this the man you saw? Are you certain it was him? They even had Randy stand up so that comparisons could be made. Riley was called to make a statement about the wound and Dave gave a dark chuckle when the creator of his injury was identified.

“Yeh’ve got good aim boy,” he said and Alex flushed, unsure whether to be offended or guilty by the statement, returning to his place not too far away from Mike.

The case seemed pretty open and shut and yet John didn’t call for a noose for Dave—he asked him who had employed him. “Ya claimed ya were workin’ under contract an’ we’ve established that ya ain’t never been here before an’ therefore have no motive personally fer attackin’ either Mayor Jericho or Miss James,” he was playing the ignorance game to the hilt, “So who hired ya?”

Standing up from his position on the prosecution stand, Dave raised his shackled hands as much as his previously repaired injury would allow and said, “Why, Hunter Helmsley o’course; who else’d have a big enough pocket?”

Gasps and cries of outrage greeted the sentiment, a sudden shout and scuffle making the mass-assembled people scrabble backwards to reveal Hunter attempting to make a break for it and being collared by two men, the blonde looking like some caged animal as he fought to be free. His wife had fainted and was currently being attended to by Dr. Ross, Dave’s voice then breaking over the din with malicious glee evident, “Don’ think it was all his idea though! Yer old Sheriff Shawn Michaels had a hand in it too!” Shawn looked like he too was going to make an escape attempt but Riley grabbed him before he could get very far and Evan was quick to aid him. Jerry’s gavel had undoubtedly left a large dent on the judge’s table by this point.

Eventually there was enough quiet to the din for Jerry to shout, “Take the sheriff and Mr Helmsley into custody!” they would have to attend to their trials later; it would take a fool to think that they could try such a case in the aftermath of all of this confusion. When it became apparent that no one was settling down Jerry was forced to call an intermission for the trial, to continue first thing tomorrow morning. Though Chris was rather disappointed that they hadn’t managed to get everything all done at once he knew Jerry had made the right choice. He, Randy, Evan, Ted and Cody and a few others helped to transfer Dave, Hunter and Shawn to the jailhouse cells. All the way there Hunter was bellowing threats and proclaiming his innocence whilst Shawn merely walked along like a meek puppy that knew it was in the wrong and Dave followed with surprising calm.

Once the three men were secured in the cells Alex was set to watch over them, as was Jamie Noble (though he looked positively terrified at the prospect). Eventually the room emptied of everyone save for Chris, Evan, John and Randy. After Cody had helped bring the three men in he and Ted had remained outside for some reasons—though John suspected it was something to do with the argument that he had witnessed Ted having with his brothers earlier before the trial had started. “You should’ve known ya wouldn’ get away with it, Helmsley,” Chris said in a voice that was dangerously pleasant though his eyes were like flint with their lack of emotion.

Hunter’s response had Evan striving to claw the man’s eyes out through the bars, though Randy’s hands gripping him around the waist were enough to keep him from moving forward too far—he had spit in Chris’ face. A gasp sounded from Shawn, clearly surprised Hunter would risk further aggravating the man when they were in such a precarious situation.

With more dignity than any other man in the room was sure they could have managed in the same situation, Chris merely pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and then wiped his face of the spittle travelling down it, and then tossed the handkerchief into the bin across the room. Randy meanwhile released Evan only when he was sure the little spitfire was going to behave and moved around the room to Shawn’s cell. Since he had eyes on him he knew he couldn’t hurt the man, especially when a verdict hadn’t been reached over him yet, but that didn’t stop him from getting as close as he could with a positively poisonous and predatory smile on his face. His voice was low, much too low for anyone else to hear what he said… and that was probably for the best in the long run, they supposed.

“Ya tried meddlin’ where ya don’ belong an’ weren’ wanted, Shawn. Thank yer stars that these bars are keepin’ me an’ ya apart still, ‘cause if they weren’ ya’d be beggin’ fer a noose by the time I’m done witcha.” And from the look in the man’s eyes Shawn didn’t doubt that even slightly. Pulling away from the bars he moved across to where the other men stood. “I think Imma head back t’my room an’ get a shower an’ proper wash,” he grimaced lightly, “There’s only so much ya can do with soap an’ water after all.”

Despite saying that he did send John a small grateful look; if Shawn had been left in charge of him he doubted he would have got anything. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Chris nodded, and added on formerly for Shawn and Hunter’s benefit, “Accept our official apology for the mix up.”

Randy smirked back and nodded his head, “Well, we’ve got the real villains behind bars now, don’ we? Forgive ‘n’ forget an’ all that.” He caught John’s eye as he made his way out; the heat that had been restrained from their forced separation the past few days burning in his eyes and John subtly trembled underneath the force of it, but he was conscious that he couldn’t just run out after the other.

John next addressed Alex, “I trust ya don’ mind stayin’ here an’ watchin’ these fellas do ya?” if he was really bothered then Chris really owed the kid from what he had been told and he’d make alternate arrangements.

“I don’ mind,” Alex said hastily, and when Chris levelled a look at Noble he was quick to agree too. “I’ll be here with ‘em,” John added after a moment, though it was an unspoken acknowledgement that the time he stayed for would vary if Randy came back.

“It’s time ya got home, Mr Mayor,” Evan said, keeping a careful tone of propriety up before Shawn, Hunter and Dave, “Doctor’s orders an’ all.”

Chris fought a grin at the words, especially when Shawn winced and sent guilty looks between Dave and Hunter. “I guess you’re right,” he said innocently, “Wouldn’ wanna impede my recovery before tomorrow, huh?”

Evan left the room with Chris after bidding John goodbye, the duo pausing in surprise as they almost walked into Mike Mizanin. Chris grinned and placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder, squeezing, “Ya did a good job, kid. Yeh’ve really come a long way, Mike, ya should be proud.”

Mike flushed, flattered with the praise. Randy had already thanked him, telling him he owed him whatever he needed whenever he needed it, not taking no for an answer. “I’m just glad we got the real bad guys,” was all Mike said in return, eyes drifting to the jailhouse door once more.

~:~

The crowd had been excited and talkative, but with nothing left to keep their interest – it was clear that no one was getting inside the jailhouse that evening and there would be nothing of interest occurring until the next day’s proceedings – they began to disperse. Some hung around in small groups on the street outside, wondering over events that had happened, while others adjourned to the saloon to talk it over. Because Wade had been with John when he went to arrest Batista most thought they might be able to get some information out of the usually close-mouthed man and headed for his bar, much to his delight; it could make him a lot of money if he were to give them the bare bones of the facts and as it was, it was very likely that Morrison and Dolph would already have mentioned what happened. And if not, their proud wives might well have done.

Cody walked some distance from the crowd, Ted walking in tandem with him. Cody glanced sideways at his lover; there was something very wrong with him. Although he had been as interested in the trial as everyone else, it was clear that as soon as his mind was off it, it was on something else with away. He wondered if Ted was unwell and just too embarrassed to mention it, that would be just like him and explain his prolonged trip to the outhouse earlier, when he had first noticed the change.

“You feelin’ okay there Ted?” he asked casually. Ted didn’t hear a word at first, then turned and looking rather guilty, nodded. Cody frowned. “You sure? If ya want, we could go back to ya room and take a break—“ He cut himself off when he saw Ted’s expression; pure horror. As if he really, really didn’t want to go back to his room... at least, not with Cody.

“Teddy.” Cody stopped, turning to Ted properly and giving him a stern look. “What’s really wrong?”

Ted looked at the ground and shook his head a little and with growing alarm, Cody read the unhappiness on his face. He took a chance, reaching to touch Ted’s hand a moment before dropping his own and Ted glanced up again. The blonde’s eyes searched Cody’s face for a moment and then he seemed to come to a decision.

“Let’s ride out for a while.”

Cody’s eyebrows raised – now this was getting bizarre. But he supposed there was no reason not to and perhaps with the added excitement happening at Wade’s saloon, Ted was a little shy about going back there with him. “Okay then, let’s go get our horses and I’ll meet you back here in twenty... Ted?”

Ted was chewing his lip with clear concern on his face. “Uh – actually, you think Evan would mind if I took his horse? He’s not going anywhere and it’d be for the best if Penny stayed in her stable.” Cody looked baffled and Ted gave a weak smile. “I’ll explain everything, I promise. Could you humour me?”

“Well – yeah, I guess.” Cody had no idea what was going on but led Ted back to the Burchill saloon, which was pretty busy too and to the stables in the back. He quickly saddled up both his own and Evan’s horse (getting the evil eye from Venom, who was probably getting quite antsy without Randy but certainly wouldn’t let Cody or Evan, or anyone else for that matter, take her out) and the two headed off. Cody noticed that Ted headed straight for the edge of town without going past Wade’s saloon and wondered about it, but refrained from comment. Ted had promised him an explanation and he was willing to wait for it.

They rode for more than half an hour until the town was completely out of sight before Ted finally slowed Evan’s horse to a walk, Cody following suit. There was a small patch of greenery, a couple of bare trees and some struggling shrubs and he guessed, correctly, that it was Ted’s destination. When Ted stopped the horse and dismounted he was proven right and got off his own horse, the two men using the reins to tie them to the tree. There was no one else around and so Cody took hold of Ted’s hand and led the other man a safe enough distance from the horses before pulling off his jacket and spreading it on the ground for both of them to sit on. Ted chuckled at the gesture but sat down, Cody doing likewise and rather than sitting close to Ted and leaning his head on the others shoulder as he was tempted to do, he sat opposite so he could look the man in the face. “What’s goin’ on Teddy? You’ve been actin’ real strange since Randy got freed.”

“I suppose I have,” Ted replied, slightly evasively. Cody frowned and Ted pulled out what seemed to be some letter from his pocket, the paper clearly expensive and the seal broken. That it was sealed at all suggested to Cody that it was something important, but he didn’t know quite why it was so important – Ted would have had to have it with him all along, since the stagecoach couldn’t have delivered him a letter so fast without him even admitting to where he was.

“I couldn’t go back to my room.” Ted looked up, meeting Cody’s eyes. “My brothers are in town. They found me when I stepped outside.”

Cody’s heart took a lurch in his chest and then started beating faster than was comfortable. Ted had mentioned brothers in passing, but they’d had other things to talk about (and to do) and so he had no idea how they might react to Ted being gone from home so long, or what they might do to an outlaw who had initially kidnapped him and then seduced him. If Ted admitted the truth to them, they’d probably lynch Cody in a heartbeat and to hell with the law.

“I’m amazed our parents let them come at all, but it kinda explains the bounty hunter a little better.” Ted sighed deeply. “Mike’s older than me, Brett’s younger and Mike’s probably anxious to get home to his fiancée... that’s not the point. My dad sent them to bring me home.”

Cody’s spirits dropped. He had known intellectually that their time together was short, but now the end was here it was worse than he’d been dreading. Ted was leaving him. Ted was honestly leaving him and going back with his brothers, to his home town and the life that he left behind, while Cody was pushing for the border. He wouldn’t have Ted, Evan was staying behind and Randy would probably be as morose and depressed as himself having to abandon John... suddenly, Cody felt as if everything was falling apart.

“Teddy...” He reached for Ted’s hand and Ted clasped it tightly, Cody returning the grip and having to bite his lip to stop from saying any more. Because what he really wanted to do was beg Ted not to leave him, to stay with him in Bone Orchard and forget where he’d come from, that they could somehow find a way to make things work between them – only that was impossible. It wasn’t as if they could marry and live respectably after all. There was no place for him in Bone Orchard and Ted would be leaving behind the kind of fortune that most men worked their whole lives and could still only dream of. Cody’s mind flitted back to his dream, how he had been convinced that he had ruined Ted for anything good. And perhaps he had been right. Judging by Ted’s mournful expression, the taste of freedom he’d had with Cody was not enough – but would Ted have ever have known there was anything else had Cody not entered his life?

They could never be anything more than what they had been and that was all they would ever have. But it hurt to realise he had to let it go.

Ted released Cody’s hand and picked up the letter he had dropped when Cody reached for him. “There’s more,” he said in a dull voice that Cody didn’t like one bit, his Ted should never sound so defeated and hopeless. “They brought me this from dad. He wants me home as soon as I can get there, so that I can meet my own fiancée.”

Cody stared, literally forgetting to breath for long seconds. “Your what?!”

“I’m gettin’ married.” Ted sounded miserable. “Accordin’ ta this letter, it’s all arranged. Dad probably thinks I’d have a little less wanderlust if I had a family waitin’ for me back home. I don’t know who it is and he says I gotta meet her, so I imagine it’s not some local girl...” He heaved a sigh. “I don’t wanna go. I don’t wanna marry some girl I never met and I don’t wanna be summoned home so’s I can be cured of dissatisfaction with – with sex!”

Cody closed his eyes a moment then forced them back open. The last thing Ted needed was to know just how much this was hurting him too. He should let Ted know that they’d had a good time but it was all over, nothing more now than memory for them both to fall back on. “You’re gonna hafta go Ted. Y’can’t avoid it.”

Ted was silent for a moment, then that same look of determination that Cody had seen when he’d hired Mike to represent Randy came over his face. “Yeah. I can avoid it. Let’s just run.”

“What?”

“Run.” Ted was clearly getting excited by the idea. “You and me. We can leave here, right now, just head for the border. We can stop in some town and I’ll write a letter, tellin’ Evan I got his horse and he can have Penny in exchange. I got money on me. We can leave all this behind and get to Canada. I’ll bet that you already had a place in mind to stop, Randy’ll know it and can meet you there. Us there! We can really do this, just take off and to hell with it all.”

Fuck, Cody was tempted. To just take off, have Ted by his side and never look back – that would be heaven. The two of them could keep on moving, find a way to be happy, he was certain of it. Evan would understand if he took off without a goodbye and he could write the man a letter, he didn’t lack the education. And Randy could meet them, they’d already provisionally picked out the town they were to settle a while in and Randy would know to look for them there.

But Ted’s money wasn’t going to last them forever. Neither of them were scared of hard work but him being an outlaw for so long, used to hustling for his money, and Ted as unworldly as he was, could they make enough? Even considering it was being horribly unfair to his lover, he knew it even though he didn’t have to like it.

“Teddy.” He squeezed Ted’s hand harder, wishing he could just agree to the crazy plan, get on their horses and ride like the wind. “Your brothers came all the way out here for you and if you just run from them, they’ll be devastated. So will your parents.”

“And if I hafta go home and marry some girl I never met before, then I’ll be devastated.”

Cody shook his head. “Ted, you seem t’forget that we’re wanted men. That ain’t showin’ so much in Bone Orchard because of what we did here back then, but if I get recognised before we cross the border, they’re gonna expect that yer either Randy or Ev and they ain’t gonna believe you ain’t lyin’. And that’d mean you gettin’ hung right alongside me.”

“I don’t care,” said Ted stubbornly. “If I go back there, it’s just another kind of noose, round my finger ‘stead o’ my neck and a slower death waitin’ at the end.”

Ted might not care, but the thought of Ted dying over their association scared the crap out of Cody and strengthened his previously rather weak resolve to talk Ted out of his plan. “It ain’t the right thing ta do Ted, and you know it.” He sighed, stroking his fingers over Ted’s knuckles. He was arguing his way out of what he really wanted and it didn’t feel at all right to him, it went against all his instincts – but he had to do what was best for Ted. He wished it was him, but it really wasn’t. What was best for Ted was to keep the man safe and well away from Cody’s kind of life. “Just runnin’, it ain’t like you. It’s cowardly. Trust me, I’ve been runnin’ a long time and it ain’t glamerous. It’s tirin’. You start missin’ yer home, yer family and wonderin’ why y’bother fightin’.”

“You ran. When your family tried to force you into a marriage you didn’t want, you left rather than do it!”

“Yeah, I ran and it don’t make me feel good.” Cody frowned slightly. “And I didn’t run exactly. I refused. I talked to them at least, tried ta put my side over. You ain’t even gonna do that? You owe them and yerself at least that much.”

He hated that he could see the light in Ted’s eyes slowly fading as the man realised that Cody wasn’t going to consent to running off with him. He just had to hope that Ted knew he was doing it for him and not because Cody didn’t want to be with Ted. There was nothing he wanted more. He had known for a while that he’d fallen too damned hard for Ted and should probably have cut things off from the start – but he couldn’t. Doing it now was breaking his heart.

“Then we go back?”

“We hafta,” Cody said softly. Even though it was the last thing he wanted. He knew from the beginning that he was bad for Ted and he had his dream to remind him should he ever forget it. He’d thought at the time it bore the marks of truth and here was the evidence.

Ted looked at the ground for a long time. “Then we go back.” He glanced up again and Cody saw that his jaw was set in that way that told him Ted had made up his mind about something. “Later. We’ll go back later. Much later.”

“Ted—“

“This is the last chance we have to be together.” Ted stared at Cody as if willing him to understand. “We might never, ever have this again. I want to make damned sure we remember it.”

“Oh Ted.” Cody raised his hand to cup the back of the others head. “I could never forget you, not if I live to be a hundred. Never. The time we were together – I’ll always remember it. And you. It’s the best memory I’ll ever have.”

He thought Ted’s eyes looked almost damp but the blonde leaned forward at that moment to catch Cody’s lips in a kiss that started off soft and became urgent and frenzied in a hurry. It occurred to Cody that the brothers that had trailed Ted might come looking for him, but when Ted’s hands pulled him closer so their bodies pressed together, he realised he didn’t care. Ted was right, this was all they had left and before they got back to town, he was going to show Ted all the love he had for him that neither of them could ever confess to.

~:~

Chris wondered vaguely what Mike could actually want at the jailhouse now that his client was free, but forgot it in a hurry as Evan made him return home. It was almost odd to be there, given that he hadn’t been back in a while but it seemed that Maria certainly had, probably as soon as Dave’s trial had been interrupted for the day. Her purse was in the front hall and when the two men went to the kitchen, they found it had been tidied up from the way it had been left and the lady herself was humming in the pantry. Chris cleared his throat softly, not wanting to scare her, but Maria jumped anyway and whipped around, smiling rather guiltily as she saw the two.

“I knew no one would’ve touched this place and I ain’t so scared ta come now I know that man’s behind bars...”

“It’s okay Maria. And thank you fer doin’ this,” Chris added. He thought that maybe Maria was back there for her own peace of mind as well as his comfort, but he wished she would leave so that it would be just himself and Evan.

“Quite a few ladies brought food by – y’know how they hate ta see a man starve when he ain’t been so well,” she said with a slight smile. “There’s enough here ta see you through a couple days at least, both of ya. You are stayin’ a while here?”

The last question was directed at Evan, who smiled back at her. “I’ve gotta make sure the mayor stays outta trouble. He ain’t so recovered as he likes ta think he is.”

“Well, I ain’t surprised after...” Maria trailed off and then seemed to give herself a mental shake. “I’ll leave ya ta rest Mr Mayor. We need ya healthy fer tomorrow. I’ll be ‘round first thing with breakfast—“ She raised a hand as Chris looked ready to protest. “And you get no say in it. We need ya there ta put away those awful men... and Sheriff Michaels.” She looked troubled at the last name, as probably a lot of people in town did. No one had ever thought Shawn would get involved with anything like this.

“I’ll let myself out,” she finished, heading from the kitchen.

When Evan heard the door slam behind her he grinned at Chris and raised an eyebrow. “Well Mr Mayor, I got orders ta make sure ya get plenty of bedrest.”

Chris looked hopeful and Evan shook his head. “And get that look offa yer face. When I said restin’ I meant it.”

“But—“

“Chris.” Evan moved closer and put a hand to the side of his lovers face. “We got plenty o’ time for that. We got years.”

Chris looked back at Evan, meeting his eyes. “You haven’t changed yer mind? You still wanna stay here with me?”

“If you’ll still have me.” Evan managed a slight smile. “I know whenever I show up, I seem ta bring trouble with me—“

“You didn’t bring any of this with you,” Chris said firmly. “And if y’still wanna stay here with me, there’s nothin’ in the world I’d want more.”

“That’s what I wanted ta hear.” Evan wrapped his arms around Chris the way he’d been wanting to all day, resting his head on the man’s shoulder. He wasn’t used to showing such neediness, but when it came to Chris he was a fast learner and all too aware of what he could have lost if things had gone differently. “I love you, old man.”

Chris chuckled slightly. “Love you too, kid.” Evan slapped his shoulder lightly and Chris laughed. “Hey, you ain’t supposed ta be injurin’ the infirm.”

Evan leaned back, grinning. “Get up them stairs and get inta bed. I’ll bring up somethin’ ta eat and drink for ya.” He noticed Chris’ pout. “And if ya do behave, I might be tempted ta show ya just what ya do get when there ain’t no full sex on the menu.”

~:~

Mike watched Chris and Evan head off down the street, pleased with the praise he’d received – he had wanted something like this for so long, some huge showcase and he had a feeling his reputation in town had just been made. Maybe now Michael would drop the ‘junior’ from his ‘partner’ title. But in spite of that good feeling, he had other issues to address as well. Namely, one blonde deputy who, now that the danger and excitement seemed to be past, might just think it wise to back off again. Mike didn’t want that. He had thought about it enough even before all this happened and now he was determined; he was going to make something happen. Things might be difficult given how he felt about Alex and how it was not acceptable at all, but right then he felt invincible. He could make Alex see things his way, he was sure.

He went into the jailhouse, noticing how Alex looked up at him and widened his eyes before turning his attention back to the book he was staring at. John looked over at him and gave him a cool, somewhat amused glance. Mike wondered if he had worked out what was going on with him and Alex and if he realised how complicated it was – and if he had, Mike didn’t think the acting Sheriff would tell anyone. Mike had witnessed some glances between him and Randy that made him suspect John had some other reason to want to keep Randy close that didn’t involve keeping tabs on a prisoner.

“Mr Mizanin,” said John pleasantly. “How can we help ya?”

“I hope yer not here ta try an’ drum up some business,” growled Hunter from his cell. “My wife will already have solicited a better lawyer.”

“I only represent the innocent,” replied Mike smoothly, causing Alex to choke back a laugh and even John seemed to be hiding a smile. “Which could be a problem for you, Mr Michaels, or is Mr Helmsley payin’ for your legal costs too?”

Shawn clearly hadn’t thought of that and was starting to look both panicked and angry. Mike took no notice, he really didn’t care who represented any of them as long as they were found guilty in the end. “There someplace the three of us can talk away from the prisoners?”

John didn’t have to ask who he meant by the ‘three’ of them. “Sure, we’ll go to the step fer a moment. Noble, keep an eye on things here fer a few minutes.” He headed for the door, Alex getting up and following as Mike went to the outside. There were still a few onlookers but most of them realised there was nothing about to happen in a conversation between two lawmen and a lawyer, or at least nothing they would be told about, and largely ignored them.

“I was wonderin’ if it was still necessary ta keep an eye on Mickie’s place,” he said without a fuss. “Those three are behind bars but might Helmsley’s wife try somethin’?”

“Doubtful,” replied John. “It’d only look bad on him if somethin’ happened ta her now. I think she’s safe fer the moment. Probably fer a long time ta come.”

Mike nodded. “I just wish I could work out what they wanted with the farm—“ He cut himself off, that wasn’t what he was there to discuss. “May I ask, how are you gonna be workin’ out who’ll be watchin’ over those three?”

“We was lookin’ at the diary when ya came in,” John said. “We was thinkin’, I’m gonna go get a few hours in bed. Then I’ll come back at ‘bout eleven tonight and let Alex and Noble go home, watch ‘em myself from then ‘til mornin’.”

Mike wasn’t convinced that John’s hours in bed would be spent sleeping, but he wasn’t about to say so. He was more interested in what John had said about Alex. “Probably a good idea, been a long few days for all of you.”

“All of us, you included.” John patted Mike on the shoulder. “You did a damned good job in that courtroom and I wanna thank ya for it. Now, if ye’ll excuse me, I better make sure they ain’t convincin’ Noble ta get closer to the bars.”

Alex chuckled a little at the comment as John headed back in, pointedly closing the door behind him to keep Alex outside a moment. Mike paused a moment, feeling suddenly shy, his previous determination suddenly shaken – but he hadn’t come this far to back out now.

“I was wonderin’,” he said, aware that his voice had taken on the slightly formal tone he used in court but seemingly unable to change it. “If you’d like to come around once your shift watchin’ those three finishes. I know it’ll be late but maybe a quick drink in celebration? Your actions saved our lives last night and now I have somethin’ to celebrate too, maybe we could celebrate together? Unless you’re too tired, I know you’ll hafta be up for the trial and the prisoners and—“

“Mike.” Alex smiled at him and Mike smiled back, although he was a little aggrieved with himself for starting to ramble the way he had. Something about the possibility of being turned down by Alex was far more terrifying than being the centre of attention in court. “I’ll be there just as soon as John comes to take over.”

Mike’s smile widened, he really couldn’t help it. “I’ll be waitin’.”

Alex winked and slipped back inside the jailhouse without saying another word, leaving Mike to suddenly wonder if he had anything even remotely celebratory in the house and hurry off to Wade’s saloon to see if he could get something there.

“You’d better be gettin’ off John, if ya wanna be gettin’ any rest before ya watch these guys tonight,” said Alex as he walked back into the jailhouse.

“Trust me, I’m gone.” John glanced at the cells, unable to help the smirk that came over his face. Oh, how the roles were reversed. “Don’ go nowhere ‘til I get back.”

“Yeah, and you enjoy yer ‘rest’,” snapped Shawn, the most animated he’d been since he was locked up. “I’m sure ya’ll enjoy yer sleep.”

“I’m sure I will.” John kept his voice genial as he tipped his hat to the two deputies. “Y’know where I’m stayin’ if yer need me.” Well, he was almost sure that Alex did, because he had no plans to go back to his room above the saloon. He suspected that Ted’s brothers would be there and although he did wonder what was happening with those two, since Ted had turned back up at the trial he assumed that the man was putting off dealing with them. He knew that Ted would not leave without saying goodbye to him, he would consider it impolite (and had he known about Ted’s plan to run away from them he would have been rather startled) and so he was less worried about that than he might otherwise have been. And to be honest, even if Ted might have left without a word, he would still have not gone straight back to his room. Randy was free at last and there was only one destination on his mind.

The Burchill saloon was busy but he knew how to get into the upstairs without going through the bar and did so, not wanting to waste time talking about what had happened or being asked awkward questions as to why he was there. He rather suspected that Randy’s room would be locked but in fact it wasn’t and when he pushed open the door, he was a little surprised to find that Cody and Evan weren’t there – only a little surprised though. They might be pleased that Randy was free but they also had business of their own to attend to.

It seemed that the first thing Randy had done was not to take advantage of those in the bar that might want to buy him a celebratory drink, the way he had on the final night of his previous visit to Bone Orchard. Instead he had filled himself a bath and was reclining in it, long legs nowhere near fitting in the tub and hanging over the sides, arms dangling (with his gun still in easy reach), head tipped back. As John stood in the doorway, Randy opened an eye and grinned lazily at him.

“Hey there Sheriff,” he drawled, making no effort to move, nakedness barely covered by the water. “Come on in and close the door. Don’t want the whole world lookin’ at my bare ass.”

“Yer ass ain’t the bit that’s showin’,” John mentioned, closing the door and locking it behind him.

Randy took little notice of the comment. “So good ta be able ta wash,” he commented, closing his eyes again. “Not that I ain’t grateful fer the water an’ washcloth, but this is good. I need ta take Venom out fer a real long ride later, but first I think I’m gonna lie in that bed there an’ remember what it’s like t’be able ta stretch an’ sleep at the same time.”

John chuckled slightly. “If you found it uncomfortable, just imagine how that Batista’s findin’ it.”

“I don’t wanna be thinkin’ ‘bout him right now,” said Randy. “I wanna enjoy this before I hafta consider anythin’ else. I deserve that.”

“Y’sure do.” John moved over to the tub and knelt beside it, dipping his hand in the water and trailing water over Randy’s chest, to a rumbling sound of approval by the other. “I gotta go back and guard the prisoners tonight,” he commented in a low voice. “But I’m free too, fer now.”

“Yeah?” Randy turned his head and opened his eyes again, fixing John with a look. “Then get yer clothes off and get in here.”

“Yer jokin’.” John looked amused, but he wasn’t at all sure that Randy wasn’t serious. “There ain’t room fer you on yer own in there, let alone me too.”

“Just get naked Sheriff.” Randy’s lips curled into a smile. “The last few days I’ve been stuck behind bars watchin’ how y’lean over that desk, how them pants cling to that big ass of yours—“

“It ain’t big!"

“And dammit, I ain’t even been able ta beat off thinkin’ of ya without an audience. So you get yerself naked Sheriff and right now, ‘cause I got days ta make up fer.

John might previously have gotten annoyed with the order, but that was before Randy had been put in jail, before he realised he was doing himself no favours hanging on to pride. He stood, moving so he was in front of the tub and Randy raised his head and watched with interest as he unclothed himself. Randy’s gaze was increasingly hungry and John felt a slight shiver going through him that had nothing to do with the air touching his previously covered body. Shawn had accused him of being an outlaws whore and that was true. Randy himself had said John was his bitch and that was something he was coming to terms with. Because he’d realised during Randy’s incarceration that he’d do anything at all for the man and if that made him a whore, or a bitch, he was willing to accept it. by the time he had shed all of his clothes he was already hard, his body reminding him that Randy wasn’t the only one who had been forced into celibacy.

Randy smirked and crooked a finger at him, indicating for him to come closer. John raised an eyebrow. “I woulda thought ya’d had enough of enclosed spaces fer a while Orton.”


	37. Chapter Thirty-Six: The Time Has Finally Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whilst others are celebrating an apparent job well done, two young lovers are saying their goodbyes.

Still lain upon Cody’s coat on the ground, Ted continued to kiss the other with everything he had as he undressed him, hands roaming all over the skin that he exposed to the soft breeze. Breaking the kiss only when his lungs were burning for breath he gazed down at Cody with glassy, adoring eyes, lips swollen and chest heaving as he took in deep lungful’s of air. How was he going to give this up?

It wasn’t just the sex, no, not just, (though he already knew any sex that he had with this fiancée he’d never be able to escape from would be nowhere near as good as any he’d had with Cody) it was /Cody/. How could his father be so cruel as to do this to him? He’d made it clear since a young age how he felt about arranged marriages and although his mother had always sworn that that would never happen, it seemed his father had decided to ‘helpfully’ meddle in his life once more.

Soft lips brushed against his cheek, drawing Ted from his furious, upset and generally tumultuous thoughts, blinking and bringing his focus back to Cody who was currently undressing him with the same reverent care that he had displayed in getting the younger naked. Their clothing was piled off to the side of them, neither one caring that the items would probably become dusty if not definitely rumpled as they focused on each other. “Don’t think about it now,” Cody whispered softly, “Not now.”

“Yeah…” Ted nodded, an apologetic look flashing over his face, “Sorry.” His time with Cody had already been tainted by the unfortunate blast of reality enough without allowing it to be ruined further by lingering on it. Initiating another kiss between them Ted allowed his body to rub against Cody’s, the breeze circulating around them only seeming to highlight how hot their bodies were becoming.

As his shaft rubbed against Cody’s with their passionate writhing he got harder and harder, weeping in what seemed like no time at all. Their tongues were duelling and dancing, Ted’s hands grasping Cody’s hips as Cody’s one hand curled through Ted’s blonde hair and the other wrapped around Ted’s cock suddenly. The blonde moaned, tearing his mouth from Cody’s as his head tipped back and his eyelashes fluttered as his eyes closed, mouth open in a wanton expression of bliss.

Wanting to watch Ted’s face as he pleasured him Cody found himself ducking his head and pressing messy, biting kisses over Ted’s chest and as far down his torso as he could reach. Ted’s hips were thrusting into his hand desperately, his own hands curling through the fabric of the coat they lay on until he forced one off to catch Cody’s wrist, “Stop baby, stop—“he panted harshly, dropping kisses all over Cody’s flushed face when he saw the momentarily confused expression on his lover’s face, “It’s too good,” he hastened to explain, “I’m so close to cumming, and I don’t want to do that just yet.”

Merely smiling at the other, Cody then winked and before Ted could register what was happening he found himself on his back and with Cody sliding down between his legs, mouth coming level with his swollen tip. “Don’ worry abou’ tha’ love,” he purred, nuzzling his cheek against Ted in a gesture that had the blonde biting his lip because it was so cute and yet so fucking obscene in the same measure he was unsure which emotion to latch onto first. “M’sure I c’n getcha back up again.” And with that he unceremoniously took Ted into his mouth and then slowly but surely down into his throat as he hummed and swallowed around him.

It was only three times that the cycle was repeated that Ted was crying his pleasure to the heavens, his hands fisted into Cody’s dark hair as he spilled himself down the other’s willing throat even though he had desperately tried to hold back just a little bit longer. Collapsing back onto the ground and Cody’s coat Ted moaned weakly, eyes closed and mouth open as he gasped for breath as euphoria continued to circulate within him. It was too good, much too good, he could never have held on.

He must have been gone longer into his pleasure than he thought because suddenly he was aware of a weight on his hips and Cody’s hand around his sensitive, but not unwilling length, coaxing him to hardness once more as he began to pepper kisses all over his face and underneath the sensitive spots underneath his ears, nibbling the lobes and blowing warm breaths over them. It was in record time that Ted felt himself hardening anew, ready for another round.

It was only when he found himself resting at Cody’s entrance that he realised that they had missed something, and his eyes widened, head popping up, “Cody, wait—“he panted, but Cody merely shook his head and smiled down at him, eyes as glassy as Ted’s own but trying to keep it in. “It’s Ok,” Cody murmured softly, “I don’ need it, I jus’ need you.” He knew that Ted would try to make him stop, to wait and take the time for prep, but Cody didn’t want to. He wanted it to hurt.

If Ted was going to be leaving his life before the sun went down that day then Cody wanted to ensure that he would be able to feel him for as long as possible. He had sworn to Ted that he would never forget him, and he meant it, just like he knew in himself that he would never love another the way he had Ted. He would never, ever, give himself to another the way he had Ted, be they male or female or whatever. Even though he had never experienced love before he didn’t doubt the way he was feeling then, couldn’t doubt the feelings that they had between them. The idea was inconceivable.

Feeling that Cody was seriously going to take him dry Ted forced himself to still other than his hands grasping Cody’s hips to steady him, teeth digging into his bottom lip so hard yet again that he could taste blood before too long with the force he was using on the delicate appendage.

Cody’s head was tossed back and his expression was scrunched up in pain and it was on the tip of Ted’s tongue to tell him to stop, that the wait wouldn’t matter, but Cody was already a good portion of the way down him and he didn’t want to disrupt the other’s concentration. Accidentally Cody scored his nails down Ted’s chest, causing the blonde to give a pained moan as his body tensed, but he didn’t tell the other off for it; it wasn’t as though he had to worry about anyone seeing any marks on him for a while after all.

Several tense moments later Cody’s buttocks were resting atop Ted’s thighs, not an inch of his lover outside of his body. Cody’s nostrils flared as he took several deep breaths, the burn in his ass painful and yet not stemming the pleasure that he was feeling to have Ted inside of him once more. Slowly opening his eyes he looked down to Ted and murmured, “Jus’ give me a sec, Ok baby?” Ted nodded, worrying his lip with his teeth some more; Cody was always so tight around him but this… God.

“Take all the time ya need, baby,” Ted assured softly, feeling his toes curling into the dirt somewhat from how he fought the urge to keep moving the way that he wanted to. He had registered what Cody had called him earlier but he didn’t want to draw the other’s attention to it in case Cody hadn’t realised and he didn’t want to embarrass the other or make him uncomfortable if it was accidental.

Eventually Cody felt as though he had adjusted as much as he was able and began to ease himself off of Ted. The progress was slow both up and then on the return journey down, but that didn’t matter, it still felt glorious to Ted. His toes curled once more as he fought to keep still, not wanting to push Cody too far too fast, but eventually the urge to thrust overruled him and he bucked up as Cody came down. The ravenette cried out but didn’t ask him to stop.

Careful motions soon became more arduous, flaming with passion once more as Cody began to ride Ted more firmly and Ted tried to thrust up into the other as much as he was able what with Cody controlling the pace and depth. Though he had intended to keep the words in, they began spilling from his lips like a desperate mantra; he had to make Cody see, to understand that even though he would be bound to this woman he would never… he’d never love her, not like he did Cody.

“I love you!” Ted choked out and Cody lost his rhythm in surprise, but his hips continued on as though of their own volition, his ears ringing with Ted’s panting, passionate, sincere declarations. “I love you so much! I’ve never felt for ya the way I do anyone else, Cody, there’ll never be anyone else in my heart the way you are.”

Cody didn’t realise the tears were coming until Ted’s hand came up and his thumb brushed through the sparkling trails, a tear of his own slipping out at the sight of Cody’s. under other circumstances they would have both been ashamed of such an action, but how could one be ashamed of their love manifesting itself like this?

A watery laugh left Cody, catching the hand that Ted had used to wipe at his tears as he pressed a kiss to the palm, eyes still holding Ted’s. “You’ve gotta know that I love ya by now, Teddy,” he murmured, slightly ashamed that his words were nowhere near as fancy and beautiful as Ted’s own, but at least the meaning was heard and understood, “I love ya, more’n anyone-- Theodore DiBiase.” It was the first time Cody had used Ted’s proper given name and the blonde convulsed, the sheer sensuality of his otherwise mundane name coming from Cody seeming to bring him to the edge.

Grinding his teeth together (he couldn’t allow himself to cum before Cody) Ted brought a hand to Cody’s shaft and began to stroke it in a firm grip that was in sync to Cody’s own movements, the other hand grasping the perspiring skin at the back of Cody’s neck to draw him down into a messy, sloppy, perfectly fucking fantastic kiss that swallowed the moans and gasps that Cody was giving as Ted’s hand started to stroke him. He couldn’t hold on much longer, he knew it.

They came together, perfectly and without pause, two cries of ecstasy mingling together in the sky amongst the clouds, undoubtedly being heard by God and the angels if not by anyone else. Cody knew he’d cried Ted’s name, had been sure that Ted cried his, but in the end if didn’t matter; all that mattered was that they both /knew/ how the other was feeling, knew that this went much deeper than sex. This was love—something neither had been sure he’d ever really feel.

Boneless, the world askew with his euphoria Cody collapsed down onto Ted’s sweaty, heaving chest and remained there as he panted harshly, trying to get his own breathing back to a manageable level. Ted’s hands were fanned out over his back, holding him close, as though he had any intention of moving away from the other even slightly.

When he finally regained a sense of himself Cody gently drew away from Ted’s chest and then leant down for a kiss, cupping Ted’s sweaty, hot cheek and letting their lips brushing together fleetingly over and over again before deepening it slowly, letting their tongues twine languidly without being too demanding of one another in the meantime.

“I love you,” Ted said, voice low and somewhat hoarse from the crying out he had been doing, but his eyes were level and clear, still glassy but no longer crying. Cody’s eyes closed as he heard the words, forehead resting atop Ted’s own; he hadn’t doubted the words when he had heard them before, but when they were said in the heat of passion like that, and with such emotions driving them, he could be forgiven for being somewhat uncertain even if he had meant them in return.

“I love you too,” Cody murmured softly in return, gently easing himself off of Ted’s lap with a wince and laying down beside him instead, Ted’s arms wrapping around him and drawing him in to his chest. Their legs curled together as they both listened to the sounds of one another’s heartbeats and slowing breathing. Though the afternoon was getting on Cody knew that it would soon be dark and then they would have no choice but to at least make their way towards town once more, and then...

And then Ted would probably be gone before dawn tomorrow. The thought almost made Cody want to cry again; he was sure he was going to cry more in that one day then he had cried since he had been about five years old and such behaviour was acceptable for a boy. As they lay together though and he found himself reflecting on the magnitude on the time that they had left, Cody began to press gentle kisses all over Ted’s sensitive flesh once more. Letting his eyes close Ted allowed Cody to do as he wanted as he moved down his body, feeling those wonderful lips moving over his pecs, then his nipples, before moving down to his bellybutton.

When teeth suddenly dug into the flesh of one of those cursed love-handles he possessed, that had never gone away Ted gasped and shivered, propping himself up on one elbow to watch as Cody marked first one lump of flesh before the other, the marks seeming to glare up at him even though they would probably not be that obtrusive if someone happened to catch him somehow without his pants up around his waist. The action shouldn’t have turned him on as much as it had, but it had.

He hadn’t thought it possible given the orgasm that he had just had and the time in which they’d allowed themselves to recover, but there he was feeling that familiar tingling sensation stirring in his groin once more. However, after merely pressing a kiss to both of those marks he had left behind Cody bypassed his groin and then moved so that he was kneeling up. Had it not been for the fact he would have been laying in dirt he wouldn’t have made Ted move, but he wasn’t risking his dick to germs, not even for Ted.

“Get on yer knees fer me, please Teddy,” Cody murmured quickly, and Ted moved hazily to do as he was asked, biting his lip as he found himself displaying his deliciously built ass to Cody’s hungry gaze. Spreading Ted’s cheeks Cody sighed out, “God, yer’re beautiful,” before ducking his head down and licking Ted from balls to back, scraping the flat of his tongue deliberately over the puckered rosette Ted possessed, making the blonde cry out.

“Oh, Cody!” Ted’s head lolled forward and Cody forced his tongue into the tight ring of muscle, beginning to move it back and forth and changing from rigid to soft, keeping Ted on his toes and changing the sensation for him before he had the chance to grow complacent. Cody needed Ted once more, to have himself inside of him once more, to forever ensure he was going to be branded to Ted as much as Ted was branded to him. Saliva was running down his chin and over Ted’s sac, but Cody didn’t give a damn about the mess. All he gave a damn about was Ted.

~:~

Sighing as though that was a difficult proposition to consider, Chris then obediently turned around and began making his way towards the stairs and making sure Evan saw him starting up them. It was somewhat precarious for him, to go up the stairs, but that was probably because he hadn’t had to go up many the past few days and the changes in altitude and motion, though usually slight, were registering with him more so than ever before. Upon reaching his bedroom Chris toed off his shoes and placed them aside before sitting atop his bed. As his hands moved over the familiar covers he was suddenly struck by how lucky he had actually been through all of this.

He might never have had chance to walk up those stairs again, or sleep in this bed, or… or see Evan’s face, smiling or otherwise. He had come so close to losing everything, and although he had known this in the back of his mind it was as though something had been unlocked inside of him now that there was a seeming end to this sordid, dangerous tale.

It was only when Evan’s throat cleared softly behind him that Chris realised he had been absently staring out of the window at the still bright sky, probably alerting the other in some fashion even though he was honestly fine. “Y’alright there, old man?” Evan asked, still smiling, though Chris could see there was some concerned uncertainty glimmering inside those soulful chocolate coloured hues he adored to stare into.

“I’d be better if ya get yer fine ass over here, boy,” he teased back and Evan seemed to relax when he seemed assured that Chris hadn’t fallen into some sudden coma or something like that. As the small outlaw kicked off his well-worn boots Chris made a mental note to take the other shopping for a whole new wardrobe. He was going to spoil the other rotten and he knew it already, though he sensed that Evan would be putting his foot down often to temper in his impulses to lavish the other with gifts and trinkets.

Making sure Chris was settled on the bed, Evan then moved up next to him, handing him the plate of two sandwiches he had made for the other using some of one of the bread-rolls he had been given by one of the ladies Maria had spoken about, the filling also consisting of some of the things Chris had been brought. In his hand he held a glass of cold lemonade that Maria had obviously placed ice in upon its arrival to make sure it remained cold for Chris.

Biting into the sandwich Chris chewed and swallowed before asking, “Why aren’t you eatin’?” to Evan, brow furrowing.

Evan waved the concern away, “I’m not hungry yet.” The excitement of everything that had been going on had taken all of his focus. He’d get something later on, probably when Chris was asleep or something. As it was, at that moment in time, he was fine.

Chris, however, didn’t seem to see it that way, because he handed Evan the second sandwich. When the younger man made to protest Chris levelled him with that look that Evan could never resist and he sighed, taking the sandwich into his other hand, “Bossy.” The word was muttered without heat and Chris merely grinned innocently in response.

They lapsed into comfortable silence together as they ate, and Chris finished the drink before Evan set the plates aside on the blonde’s bedside table. He settled between Chris’ legs, lying against the other’s chest, the blonde’s arms going around him. “Have I been a good enough boy?” Chris asked after a moment and Evan chuckled lowly, “Ya need ta let yer food settle firs’ before that, old man.”

~:~

“There’s only one enclosed space I’m interested in a’ the moment, sheriff, I promise ya,” Randy said, eyes smouldering and the words dripping with lecherous intent as he let his eyes drift down John’s beautiful body, revelling in the way he was hard and wanting, oh so very ready. And all of that just from being near Randy; John certainly did wonderful things for Randy’s ego, amongst other things.

“Yeah?” John swallowed, mouth and throat feeling dry and his heart started to hammer in his ribs, “And what space might that be?” Randy lethargically shifted, long legs still splayed over the sunken edge of the tub as his back pressed against the higher side, arms open and inviting. John wasn’t about to turn the invite down, moving over to the bathtub and eying it somewhat nervously before moving to Randy and kneeling down.

It was definitely a tight fit (John’s thighs were pressed tight to the tub’s sides even as he was straddling Randy’s waist) but Randy didn’t mind; this wasn’t where he intended to consummate his release from jail, he just wanted to start the preliminaries there. He’d had nothing but his mind to occupy him the past few days even though John had tried hard to do as much as he could in their limited circumstances, and he wanted the chance to let free all of the restrained passion that he had been forced to smother. He hadn’t been kidding either when he had said that watching John bending over that desk had been almost a greater torture then being penned up.

If they kiss they had shared between the bars had been passionate, it was nothing compared to the one that was exchanged in that moment. It was probably the sweetest kiss they had ever had between them before, though it was still deep and undeniable in its passion. John’s hands cupped the back of Randy’s head and neck as their tongues slid together, moans and groans being lost into one another’s mouths as the kiss continued. Randy’s hands slid down John’s back slowly, feeling each dip and curve, as well as the occasional faded scar. He hadn’t conceived that he would miss John as much as he had in the time of their separation, and that was even still seeing him.

Upon his heading to the border they were probably not going to see one another for at least a year, and although they were both educated enough to write to one another it was going to be hard to considering Randy’s address wouldn’t stay the same and contact could just make the absence harder. One day though, whether they admitted it aloud or not, they would reconcile. Fate permitting they would find one another again and circumstances would be much more pleasant all around.

As his hands enveloped John’s taut buttocks, spreading them, John broke the kiss to moan lowly, his head falling backwards as his eyelashes fluttered closed. The sight had Randy growling softly in delight, the flat of his tongue then tracing up the length of John’s exposed throat. As he reached the underside of the other man’s jaw he couldn’t resist nipping down and leaving a mark behind. “Fuck,” his voice came out hoarse, passionate, and John shivered once more as he met the man’s eyes, “Missed havin’ ya in my arms, John-John, no joke.”

The quip he had been about to give in return died as Randy’s water slickened middle-finger circled his entrance. John’s thighs tightened around Randy’s hips involuntarily and the outlaw groaned; John’s ass was so close and yet so far away from his own solid, demanding erection, but he determined to remain calm. They had no reason to rush, and he didn’t intend to rush, but he needed to be inside of John soon or he was going to lose his damn mind.

A moan left the lovers in tandem as Randy’s finger finally breached John, letting it rest all the way inside of him before he then eased it back out and thrust it in again. There was a slight burn accompanying the action given that it had been several days since the last time he had been taken, and the lack of lubrication, but John welcomed it. As a second finger worked in alongside the first he moaned shamelessly, uncaring for once about displaying his more wanton side—something Randy was greatly enjoying.

“Yer beautiful John,” Randy wasn’t one for romantic talk usually, ever, but he needed John to know how much the other had actually come to mean to him. If he had been questioning his feelings before he certainly wasn’t now; there were very few people who would go to such lengths to try and free their imprisoned lover from wrongful captivity, especially when it could have provided such great dangers to him in turn. He’d be forever grateful to John for all he had done. He and his friends.

By the time three fingers were working into John’s tight channel the brunette was writhing atop Randy’s lap, swearing that even though there hadn’t been too much water to start with there was even less by that point. Sloppy kisses were exchanged, hands grabbing and teeth scraping, marks left behind to satiate their own possessiveness as well as reassuring that they were indeed there.

Though he was tempted to just let John ride him to completion then and there, Randy knew the bath wouldn’t allow for much movement and so he reluctantly moved his fingers from John’s ass and said, “Up, g’on.” John whined in protest but did as he was told, getting off of Randy awkwardly and catching the small towel Randy indicated to dry his body with swiftly. Tossing the towel to Randy he then got onto the bed, lying out and spreading his legs with undeniable intent. That motion alone was almost enough to finish Randy off even without the desperate ‘come-hither’ look that he was being sent by the dimpled, good-boy sheriff. The towel was tossed aside, forgotten, as Randy got on the bed.

Slithering up between John’s legs he brought them around his own waist tightly, the swollen, weeping head of his shaft incessantly seeming to strain closer to John. John’s arms looped around Randy’s neck lightly, drawing him in. Their eyes met and held as Randy suddenly thrust balls-deep into John in one movement, the outlaw watching, transfixed, as the way John seemed to choke on thin air and his eyes rolled up momentarily. He tasted blood faintly himself after a moment and realised he’d bitten his own lip as John’s tight sheath fluttered around his cock.

Randy didn’t need to be told when John was ready for him, he could sense it, and as soon as he was able he began to roll his hips back and forth, making sure to press deep with each motion. He avoided John’s prostate for the moment though, wanting to draw this experience out as long as they possibly could. The bed creaked underneath them, headboard occasionally hitting the wall, but neither man noticed or cared.

“Randy… fuck, ya feel so—oh, damn…” John moaned and Randy bit down on John’s collarbone, sucking and determined to leave a mark behind. He wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye to John, he knew that much, but after that night he didn’t honestly know how long he and Cody were going to hang around before they got going. Maybe if they left before the trial culminated it would be better, even if some would sit there and complain that it just made him seem guilty; he was a free man, he had nothing binding him there now.

“John—ya’re so fuckin’ tight—“Randy ground his teeth together as his hips began to pick up speed, unable to deny the primal instinct that demanded he make it so John would feel him for the rest of the night since they couldn’t spend it together much as he may enjoy it. So close, he was so— Looking down into John’s flushed sweaty face, and knowing he wasn’t much better, Randy kissed the other soundly before reaching a hand down and starting to jerk John’s weeping length in a tight grip.

~:~

Ted arched his back a little, gasping at the sensation of Cody’s tongue buried inside him and clutching at the fabric of Cody’s coat, which was no longer spread beneath them but more bunched up in a ball thanks to their previous tryst. He’d probably have a lot of explaining to do when he got back to his room and he didn’t care; the only important thing was Cody. Damn, he’d already cum twice and he was rock-hard once more – not that he was about to complain, given that this was probably the last time he and Cody would ever be together. He pushed the thought away, aided in part by Cody’s insistent tongue doing something complicated inside him and making him cry out.

“Cody, oh god—“ He tipped his head back as he felt Cody slip a finger inside him alongside his tongue. “oh please, I need you—“

Cody pulled his tongue from his lovers entrance, nipping briefly at Ted’s ass as he pressed another finger inside him. “Be patient baby, I gotcha,” he murmured, working his fingers faster inside the man and curling them slightly to hit Ted’s prostate. He knew he’d got the spot when Ted’s muscles tightened around his fingers and the blonde gave a helpless moan. Ted’s body was incredible, making love to him was the best experience of Cody’s life and he tried to ignore the sudden desolate feeling that wanted to crowd his stomach. He never wanted to lose this but the truth was that he had lost it already and he was saying goodbye.

He couldn’t think about that. Instead he pressed his fingers to that spot again and tried to memorise the sound Ted made, possibly one of the most erotic sounds he had ever heard in his life. Pressing his lips to the soft skin of Ted’s back he continued preparing the other until Ted was pressing back against his fingers and all but begging Cody to take him. Cody pulled his fingers from Ted and grasped his hips instead, aligning himself with Ted’s entrance and pressing himself slowly inside the other. His eyes fell closed and he gave a slow, shuddering sigh of pleasure; he would have sacrificed anything at all to have this forever... anything but Ted’s future.

He eased himself to the hilt and stopped, fighting to remain still and give Ted the chance to adjust to him and himself the chance to recover himself slightly – Ted gripped him so tightly that there was a good chance he might lose himself entirely. He watched the rise and fall of Ted’s shoulders as he breathed heavily, stroking his hands over the others skin until Ted turned his head and met Cody’s eyes, a look of fierce need on his face. “Cody please—“

Cody pulled himself almost all the way out of Ted and surged forward again, moaning quietly as Ted jerked his hips back to meet the action. He’d never even taken the other in this position before and already it felt right, natural – but then anything he did with Ted felt wonderful, be it making love, talking to him, waking with the other beside him... not that he’d experience those things after this was over. Suddenly desperate to make things last, he thrust himself deep into the other but refusing to let himself speed up even slightly. Ted made an urgent sound, trying to force Cody to move faster but Cody gripped Ted’s hips more tightly, dictating the slower pace and knowing even as he did that there was no way he could keep it that way for long.

“Oh Cody—“ Ted tried to push back faster, stopped by Cody’s hands on his hips. He growled slightly, needing more – Cody was stimulating him so much that he was almost out of his mind already, he didn’t think he had ever felt the other so deeply within him before – but Cody seemed unwilling to allow them both the completion they sought. He looked over his shoulder again, seeing the look of intense focus on Cody’s handsome face and the slight shaking of the brunette’s shoulders and realising that Cody was finding the slowness as tortuous as he was. Gasping for breath as Cody thrust hard against his prostate, he tried to grind back against the man again but to no avail.

“Cody, fuck me already!” Ted’s cry was louder than he had ever dared before, but in the middle of nowhere there was no one but Cody to hear him. “I need to feel you, I need it Cody, please...”

Cody growled slightly at the words – he’d barely heard Ted curse before and somehow coming from Ted’s mouth it sounded erotic rather than coarse. And it wasn’t like he could deny his lover anything he asked for, especially when he asked like that. He slammed into Ted hard, hearing the cry the other gave and upped the pace. In spite of having already cum he knew he wasn’t going to have any trouble doing so again and from the way his body reacted to Ted, it wasn’t going to be long either. Leaning forward slightly he stroked his hands over Ted’s body, dropping kisses to the man’s back and shoulders as he drove himself into his lover. He could hear himself breathing out declarations of love and need, mingled with the same sentiments from Ted but the words weren’t registering too much with him even as he said them.

“Cody – god, Cody!” Ted dug his fingers into the dirt, wishing that he could take himself in hand but he knew fine well he couldn’t support himself with one hand, not the way that Cody was moving into him – and then Cody solved the problem by moving his hand to cup Ted’s balls, squeezing lightly. That was all it took; with a cry of pure satisfaction Ted came over the ground and himself.

Ted’s inner muscles contracted tightly around Cody, sending bolts of pleasure through his already sensitised cock throughout the rest of his body. He didn’t want to cum. He didn’t want to end this –but there was no way he could stop himself. With a yell of his own he thrust into Ted again and let himself go, feeling the way Ted seemed to be trying to take him even deeper. Neither of them quietened until Cody had entirely spent himself inside his lover, resting his forehead against Ted’s back a moment and hearing nothing but his own heartbeat in his ears, the combined sounds of their heavy breathing and some bird calling in the distance. They had not been discovered and Cody was damned glad of it, not because of his own shame but for Ted’s, and that he would possibly have murdered anyone who interrupted what was left of their time together.

It was with great reluctance that he slipped out of his lover, feeling immediately bereft. Ted sighed slightly, shifting position and turning, lying on his back partly on Cody’s jacket, which wasn’t doing much to protect him from the ground anymore. Ted held his arms out and Cody gladly curled into them, lying with his body pressed against Ted’s, looking into his face. For a long while there was nothing said between them, the two indulging in kisses and caresses that spoke of the feelings between them instead. Cody felt a lump in his throat, a burning sensation behind his eyes that he tried hard not to show. Later, when he was truly alone, he could vent those emotions but now it would be too much time wasted, but telling himself that didn’t mean that he trusted himself to speak.

It was Ted who broke the silence. “I love you Cody.”

Cody swallowed, trying to dislodge the block in his throat and only being half-successful. “I love ya Teddy, ya know I do. Just remember that, alright?”

“I won’t ever forget it,” replied Ted softly. “Or you. No matter what happens. You were the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Cody heard the past tense in the sentence and his heart broke a little more at the realisation; it was done. Whatever they’d had was at an end. He moved in to kiss Ted again, softly and lingering over the action, before pulling away. “We’d better get ourselves dressed and movin’ before they send out a search party.”

Ted’s smile was a long way from convincing but at least it was there. Cody got up, heading for his horse apparently unconcerned about his nakedness and retrieving a water bottle. He took a long swig then brought it over to Ted, who was on his feet by this time. “Drink somethin’, then we can use the rest ta clean up with.” Not that a water bottle would do much, but they would at least get the worst off their hands and faces – there wasn’t much they could do about their clothes though. He supposed that riding could explain it, or maybe taking a fall. Not that he would be the one with explaining to do.

It didn’t take long before they were both dressed, slightly dishevelled but not too suspicious looking. Cody retrieved his coat and the two of them went back to their horses, riding back to the town in a contemplative silence. The closer they got, the more depressed and slumped Ted became and Cody wished that he could stop right there and tell Ted that he would go through with the plan, they would never go back to Bone Orchard... but the idea was mere fantasy. They would be found and Ted Senior had already shown he wasn’t feeling especially merciful in regards to Ted’s kidnappers.

They went back to the Burchill saloon the back way so that they could stable the horses, removing tack in relative silence. Cody was putting the bridle onto one of the hooks when he felt arms going around his waist and leaned back into Ted’s embrace.

“Cody.” Ted’s breath was warm against his ear and Cody put his hand on Ted’s wrist, stroking the skin there. “As soon as we walk outta here I might never see you again. I can’t come and say goodbye – I can’t risk my brothers recognising you from the wanted posters.”

Cody hung his head. He had been expecting this but god, it hurt so much.

“I love you Cody.” Ted’s voice was so quiet that Cody could barely hear him in spite of their nearness. “I always will. You got my whole heart and there’s never gonna be room for anyone else.”

Before Cody could reply, Ted withdrew his arms and walked out of the stable. Cody turned in time to see his back before he stepped out, heading off to his real life, far away from Cody.

“I love ya too Teddy,” Cody murmured to himself, going back into the stable where he had put his horse and petting the animal, resting his head against her neck to hide the fact that the tears had finally come.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Seven: All But A Cryin' Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ted's brothers have concerns about their sibling's reaction to his impending wedding and do their best to console him, having no clue as to his apathy. Randy and Cody discuss the necessity of their leaving Bone Orchard and the final goodbyes they'd need to say.

To say that Alex was relieved when John turned up was not an understatement. Though he was keen to get to Mike’s place he was also keen to get away from their prisoners; they were driving him up the goddamn walls! Shawn kept trying to wheedle him out of loyalty and sympathy, then turning nasty when Alex refused to roll over, and Hunter was just plain threatening him. It was probably really weird that Batista didn’t say anything at all except for the one occasion when he asked, politely indeed, for a glass of water. When the jailhouse door opened and a very relaxed and happy John walked in, Alex could have kissed him right on the lips.

He could have, but he didn’t. “Enjoy you’re evenin’?” he asked John with a small grin.

The sheriff winking back at him, “It was perfect.” There was a snort from Shawn’s cell but John ignored it. After their mind-blowing love-making John had had a few hours rest with Randy before leaving the other, assuring him he’d stop by in the morning, the outlaw snuggling back down for more sleep as he left. Alex gathered up his things, Jamie already having high-tailed it out of there. “I’ll be seein’ ya in the mornin’, John.”

Waving, Alex then ducked out of the door and began making his way through the quiet, occasionally lit streets towards Mike’s house. His stomach still felt like it had been filled with a load of rattlesnakes, had done from the moment he’d agreed to go to Mike’s place again. He knew what the other wanted, knew what he wanted, but was still slightly afraid by what they may potentially end up saying to one another. He wanted to try and keep cool and calm about the entire thing, but he was all but running by the time he reached Mike’s street, and he was bouncing on the balls of his feet like an impatient child as he knocked on the man’s door.

It opened surprisingly quickly, and the sight that greeted him had Alex’s mouth running dry; Mike’s feet were bare, his trousers lacking a belt and open by the button, his sleeves were uncuffed and his shirt was halfway open, his tie long since disbanded. In his hand he held a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. The grin on his face was dripping with that same confidence mixed with coyness that had captivated Alex that first night. “Almost thought you weren’t gonna show up, deputy,” he said softly.

Entering the house Alex kicked the door shut behind him, toed off his own boots and dropped his hat, following Mike into the living-room on autopilot. He watched as the casual, mussed Mike poured them both a drink and handed one glass to him as he raised the other. Not once did his eyes leave Alex’s as he said, “Here’s to you, Alex… and to us.” The small chink their glasses made seemed to echo in the air for several long minutes as they downed their shots, Alex wondering what would be an appropriate next move to make before he suddenly found himself being pushed into a seated position on Mike’s couch, said man’s lips smashing into his own with determined passion. He welcomed it, returned it—and this time he’d had nowhere near enough alcohol to call it a bluff.

~:~

Ted walked from the stable feeling numb and leaden. He wanted to cry, but he was afraid that once he started he wouldn’t be able to stop and anyway, crying was for women and children. It solved nothing. And if he was going to spend the rest of his life feeling nothing but hopeless misery, he might as well start right then.

His brothers were probably wondering what had taken him so long, not that he could bring himself to care much what they thought right then. He felt a little like he might never care about anything ever again. Nothing seemed important any more. He would go home and be as polite and pleasant as he’d always been, he could marry this woman his father had chosen for him. But he already knew he couldn’t bring himself to touch her. And he felt that he could never smile again and mean it.

The saloon was still busy when he got back, those who had not been present to witness the trial having heard of it and come to the bar for the full story. He bypassed the people there, not even really seeing them and headed for the stairs, feeling as though his feet were made of lead as he went to the room he and John had rented. He doubted that John would have gone back there, probably he would have gone straight to see Randy and he wasn’t at all surprised that the sheriff wasn’t there. Mike and Brett were though, sitting on the bed and looking rather pissed off.

“Nice of you to finally join us Theodore,” said Mike coldly. Ted knew he was in trouble, his older brother had his parents habit of using his full name when he was angry with his brother, but he was dully surprised to find he really didn’t care and that was odd – usually when his brother got mad, he either returned the emotion or felt some kind of shame at evoking it. Not this time. It didn’t seem to matter.

“The trial ended hours ago Ted,” added Brett. “Where’ve ya been?”

“Ridin’,” replied Ted flatly.

“Riding? You left Penny in the stable,” snapped Mike.

Ted shrugged. “Borrowed a horse offa someone.”

“You knew we were here waiting for you!” Mike stood, a frown darkening his features and some confusion in his eyes. Ted’s lack of reaction had clearly thrown him. “Why would you go riding when you know we have to get home?”

Ted didn’t even form a reply, merely made some noncommittal sound that had Mike rolling his eyes. “Dammit Ted, what’s gotten into you? You’re acting like a child!”

“The next town over’s a few hours ride away and it’s gettin’ late,” Brett interrupted, clearly trying to create some semblance of peace. “We should probably stay here the night, get goin’ in the mornin’.”

“And that was probably your plan all along, right Ted?” Mike looked infuriated. “You do know that Brett and I have lives we’d like to get back to and you’re only making us miss out on that?”

“Mike.” Brett shot his eldest brother a warning look that Ted saw and felt vaguely curious about, until he realised that both of them would know of his aversion to arranged marriages. Probably they thought that was the reason behind his vanishing act and not that he was having a clandestine affair with another man, that he was trying to escape them due to this woman. It didn’t help that they were partly right.

Brett stood up too, plastering a bright smile on his face that Ted didn’t return. “Dad wants us home quickly, because your fiancée’s stayin’ in town to meet you. We met her. Aren’t you curious?”

“Not really,” said Ted listlessly, leaning against the wall. It hardly mattered what she was like after all. It didn’t matter if she was the most beautiful woman in the world or an aged hag with three teeth, if she was happy and charitable or shrill and disagreeable. She wasn’t Cody and it didn’t matter what he thought of her since he wasn’t going to have a say in the matter. What she was like was the least important thing of all.

Mike still looked annoyed but had softened a little. It was all very well for him, Ted reflected. He had met a woman of decent means when he was just a teenager and become engaged with the blessing of both families. And he loved his fiancée, although Ted had never witnessed anything like the burning passion he felt for Cody between the two of them. Perhaps it was a different matter behind closed doors.

Brett seemed uneasy by Ted’s lack of interest though. “You’re gonna spend the rest of your life with her and you don’t wanna know anything?”

“I don’t really care.” Ted pushed himself off the wall and went to pour himself a glass of water from the jug. He would have preferred to sit, but there was still that ache in his backside that he didn’t ever want to leave – that and the marks Cody had left on him were all that remained and those too would be gone in less than a week. Another wave of misery swept over him and he suddenly felt very tired. Was this how it was going to be for the rest of his life? Overtaken with depression because there was no Cody to make him feel better?

And he would never know anything. He had no way to know if Cody would make it over the border, if he returned, if he was caught and hung. The rest of Cody’s life would be a mystery to him with no means of finding what had become of the other, unless Cody wrote to him and even then, it would take a long time for the letters to come. And there was the chance Cody would never write. There had been no suggestion that he would.

“Ted, act like a man.” Mike was striving to be reasonable but he was clearly pissed off. “You’re not going to change a thing by sulking.”

Ted usually hated being accused of sulking, but he couldn’t even seem to get annoyed. Instead he drank his water and wandered over to the window, looking out. There were people out there but none that he recognised from his short visit to the town. He half-expected to see Cody but he didn’t and why would he? He’d left Cody back at his own saloon. There was no need for Cody to be anywhere near there.

“Ted? Did you hear me?”

“Hmmm?” Ted turned to look back at Mike. “Oh. No, I didn’t.”

“Ted, what’s with you?”

Shaking his head, Ted gave another shrug. “It don’t matter. I’ll see if Wade can get you another room. No way the three of us are fittin’ in here.”

“No – wait Teddy.” Brett caught Ted by the wrist, ushering him to sit on the bed which Ted did and managed to have no change in expression as the ache in his backside flared. He felt an irrational annoyance at his little brother for it; he had intended to dwell on that in private and alone. But he couldn’t even have that it seemed.

“I know you don’t like the idea of gettin’ married Ted, but you might change your mind when you meet her.” Brett tried for a smile again, as if they were just hanging around like they always used to talking between themselves. Ted remembered it, he knew he had enjoyed their conversations but he didn’t feel like he would be able to actively participate or really enjoy anything ever again. “She’s real nice. Real pretty. She’s got blonde hair and these hazel eyes—“

Ted wrinkled his nose, more down than ever. He liked black hair with blue eyes. And even that he only liked on Cody. He tried to envision waking up to some woman’s hazel eyes looking back at him instead of Cody’s blue ones, the occasional wicked glint that was in them... no, he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t even be able to pretend for a few seconds that Cody was in the bed with him. Dimly he wondered if it would be obvious if he got them separate beds from the start.

Brett saw the expression and started talking faster. “She hasn’t got any siblings and her dad runs a silver mine too, in another town. That’s how dad knows her family. He said maybe you can marry and live at home a while, ‘til I’m old enough to take over. Then you could go there and when her dad passes, it’ll all be yours. Maybe before, if he can’t run it any more. That’s good, right?”

Ted thought it sounded even worse than he’d feared. “So it’s all business?”

“Heck no!” Brett seemed even more worried now he’d inadvertently given Ted a reason to hate the idea even more. “He’s been real worried since you left, him and mother both. And there were no girls in town you liked – he’s just tryin’ to make you happy Ted. It’s gonna be a good marriage. She’s a real nice girl.”

Ted eyed the window, wondering if he suddenly made a break and leapt through it if he could manage to break his neck. It was an idle fantasy but one with a morbid attraction. Instead of telling his brother that he should damned well marry her if he liked her so much, he stood up. “I’m gonna go speak to Wade ‘bout gettin’ you another room.”

“Well, if there isn’t any I’m sure we can all make do in here,” replied Brett with an almost desperate joviality.

Ted paused. “I should probably be gettin’ used to sleepin’ alone.” With that comment he stuffed his hands in his pocket, knowing his mother would be telling him how disgustingly crass such an action was, and headed wearily out of the room. He closed the door softly behind him and rested his head against the wood, sighing. How the hell had he expected that to go? That upon seeing his misery, Mike and Brett would tell him not to bother and leave him be? There was no hope at all of that happening. And his father upon seeing it would not understand at all. Even the air around him felt like a cage, entrapping him forever and he saw no way out of it.

He heard the squeak of bedsprings and assumed that Mike had sat on the bed, further strengthened when he heard his elder brothers voice through the door. “Don’t worry Brett. He’ll come around.”

“I dunno Mike. I thought he’d be angry but – it’s like he gave up. He can’t even bring himself to care.” There was a pause. “He scared me a little. I’ve never seen him emotionless about anythin’ before and he didn’t even react when you called him childish and he always gets pissy about that. I think he might run off again.”

“No. Ted never went against dad before and he’s not gonna do it over something as important as this. It’d be embarrassing for the family and Ted knows when it’s best to do the right thing. He came back tonight, didn’t he?”

“Eventually.”

“It’s gonna be fine Brett. Ted’s just shocked, probably a bit angry but once he gets home and settles down, it’ll all be okay. It’s like dad said, that kidnapping really shook him up and I suppose it made him think about his life and what he was doing with it. But he’s not gonna find any happiness here in Bone Orchard—“

“That’s such a creepy name for a town.”

“Sure is. When Ted’s got a wife and family, then he’ll have discovered a purpose.” There was a chuckle. “I can’t wait to get married.”

“But Mike, you’re not Ted. And you know your fiancée.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with the girl that dad picked! He’ll settle down in no time.”

Ted moved away from the door, going for the stairs. “Michael DiBiase, you are such a pompous bastard sometimes,” he murmured to himself as he wandered down. So Mike couldn’t wait but Ted certainly could. He could have waited forever and no matter how nice and pretty this girl was or how much she was worth, she wasn’t what he wanted and never could be.

Wade was standing against the bar, talking to some man who was talking of how Shawn Michaels had made some costly purchase from him and he’d thought it suspicious at the time. Ted doubted the man had considered suspiciousness at all and had no idea what the sale might have entailed, but he knew that similar conversations had to be happening across town as people questioned just what they knew about Shawn. He was going to miss the trial though, because his brothers were dragging him home to be married. He’d probably never find out the outcome, just as he would never know what happened to Cody, if he met anyone else or if he settled down, if he hated the idea as much as Ted did...

“Mr Smith?”

Ted realised that Wade was talking to him and blinked a couple of times. “Sorry, I was distracted for a moment there. Is there any chance that we can let out at least one more room, preferably two? My brothers will be staying overnight.”

“I only got one room left,” Wade said. “Your brothers are welcome to it.” He drew Ted aside a moment and glanced around to make sure there was no one else listening in. “By the way, they came down for some food earlier. You might wanna let ‘em know that you’re not using your given name, Mr Smith.”

Ted looked blank for a moment then sighed. “Oh. I’d forgotten about that, I’ll warn them.” He hesitated a moment. “Uh, can I take a couple of drinks up with me?”

“You can take a bottle as long as you pay for it.”

“I’ll have brandy if you have it,” Ted told him, not quite ready to face the whisky on anything more than a couple of shots. He wasn’t sure if he was even going to touch the brandy but it seemed like a good idea to have it to hand, he suspected he was in for a sleepless night. It might help. Or he might try for blind drunkenness and see if that helped him any.

Wade took his money, gave him a room key and the bottle and Ted bid him farewell. Wade stopped him before he could go. “Ted. Are you okay? You seem down.”

Ted considered lying, then remembered that Wade knew at least a little about what was going on with him. “Ever want somethin’ you could never have?”

Wade’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly and Ted had an idea that Wade knew exactly what he was talking about. “Yes. I have.”

“I’ll be just fine Wade. Eventually.” Ted gave him a vague smile and went back to his room. Mike and Brett were sitting on the bed, engaged in thumb battle and Ted found himself fondly thinking of when they had been young and it had been the way all three of them passed boring moments. Mike had nearly always won.

“I got you two a room,” he said, tossing the keys their way. Brett caught them and frowned alittle. “It’s down the hall, right at the end the barkeep said. Might as well go make yourselves comfortable.”

Mike noticed the bottle and stood, frowning. “Ted, it’s not a good idea to drown your sorrows when we hafta set off first thing—“

“Maybe I should stay in here with you—“ Brett said at almost the same time.

Ted narrowed his eyes slightly. “Mike. I’m old enough to buy as much alcohol as I like and drink it when I like, without your permission. And Brett – I don’t want the company. And I certainly don’t need a guard to make sure I don’t run off in the night.”

The flush that covered Brett’s face told Ted he had been right about his instinct there. Mike however was getting angry again and Ted couldn’t bring himself to care. “If you’ll excuse me, I just wanna be on my own awhile.”

“Ted.” Brett went over to his brother and his eyes were worried. “You know everything’ll be okay. It’s going to be fine, this isn’t the end of the world. It’s not even a bad thing. It’s quite the opposite!”

Ted couldn’t find the words to say just how he disagreed, so in the end he merely dropped his eyes and walked over to the bed, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling until his brothers had taken their things and left. Even then he didn’t move. His mind was with Cody. He could still feel the ghost of Cody’s hands on him, hear his voice and those declarations of love he’d made. The memory brought a smile to his lips, but it was bitter. He didn’t think he’d ever felt so bleak and alone in his life.

~:~

In all honesty he had no idea how long he sat there out in the stable for, staring at nothing and trying to keep the tears at bay. Sure, he had let some go earlier but since Ted had done the same he knew he hadn’t acted in an unreasonable manner… doing so again before others though was a completely different ride. Eventually he forced himself onto numb legs from where he had slumped to the floor, making his way out of the stables and back into the saloon. He barely registered Katie-Lea attempting to flirt with him –even less than usual- and he felt as though he wasn’t even inhabiting his own body as he walked up to the room that he and his two friends were sharing. Well, he and a friend were sharing now if he guessed right.

Hot jealousy rose up his throat like bile and Cody immediately forced the reaction down; that wasn’t fair to Evan to think like that, and he had obviously been in love with Chris much longer than he had been in love with Ted, so technically (even though Cody would’ve sold his soul to the devil himself just to be able to keep Ted without seriously encumbering the other’s life in the process) the smaller man deserved his solidity of happiness first. Cody’s only solace was that Randy would probably be feeling the same way that he did soon, or at least something really close to it regardless of whether he admitted his feelings for sheriff Cena aloud or not. Bracing his hand upon the door, the rough texture of wood barely registering, Cody sighed and then pushed it open.

Randy, the lovably shameless hussy, was lain out across the big bed with only a light sheet over his manhood to keep modesty, the rest of him on complete display. Smiling just slightly, though it felt completely wrong on his face, Cody moved himself into the room some more and subtly managed to procure the second pillow and the covers that Randy had kicked to the floor. He could have awoken the other and got into bed he knew, but he couldn’t bring himself to want to sleep anyway, not after… the ravenette grimaced slightly as he sat down, pain flaring slightly in his backside, but the grimace was in reality a bittersweet smile, the tear on his cheek nothing to do with pain.

At some point, regardless of what he had been thinking about not sleeping or not settling, he must have fallen asleep (and, to his mortification, begun crying again) when he felt a hand pushing at his side and he blinked blearily to bring himself back to consciousness, being confronted by Randy’s partially shadowed face in a low lamplight. “Getcher clothes off an’ geddup ‘ere ya fool,” the words might have seemed crass and unkind to another person, but Cody knew the truth.

With fumbling fingers he managed to shuck his clothing off and absently wondered whether he should get a wash before he then crawled into the bed beside Randy. Their nakedness didn’t bother the other anymore, hadn’t for a long time, and it was a mark of their closeness that it had no untoward reactions sparking between them. A slowly familiar wetness was on his cheeks once more, Cody not even feeling it anymore, but it didn’t matter--- come morning neither he nor Randy would mention this had even happened. It meant a lot to Cody that Randy knew the times when mucking about and taking the mickey was alright and also when it was just so not wanted.

“He’s gone, Randy,” Cody mumbled quietly, though the words seemed to echo in the air of the bedroom, “That’s it. He’s gone.” He didn’t need, nor want, to say anything more and so merely fell silent, merely looking into the returned darkness of the room since Randy had turned the lamp down.

Randy was the one to break the silence, speaking quietly into his friend’s ear, “I guess we’d better be thinkin’ o’ gettin’ outta here as soon as the trial’s done tomorrow.” Of course he wanted to stick around and see Hunter and Shawn brought to justice, as well as this Dave fellow he almost took the noose for. “An’ then we can make sure Ev’s settled…” if either of them had ever doubted before Evan’s conviction to stay, seeing the way the young man had reacted throughout all of this had definitely cemented in their minds that he wasn’t leaving Chris for anything.

“Y’gonna say goodbye t’the sheriff before we go?”

Cody couldn’t resist asking and he felt Randy shifting slightly behind him, until he eventually settled and rumbled, “Go t’sleep ya brat.”

Another ghost of a smile flickered over his face before it vanished once more as he thought back to Ted. He doubted the other had left that night, since it had been late when they had gotten back, but it made his stomach hurt to consider it either way. He had never met Ted’s brothers, and he could assume they might be really nice guys, but from their turning up like they had and dropping this… this engagement onto Ted’s head, Cody could really hate them both on principle alone. It took a long time for Cody to get to sleep that night, and even then when he had managed he kept envisioning his and Ted’s goodbye over and over in his mind. He felt as though he’d barely slept at all before he was waking up again.

His mouth felt all dry and his face stiff and scratchy from his tears, and his body was aching now from the unprepared sex and a multitude of small cuts and scrapes that he seemed to have gained from their essential rolling around in the dirt. The marks on his body he didn’t much mind, such as the ache in his backside, but the state of his mouth and face bothered him… not that he really had anyone he much cared about impressing anymore. Randy was still snoring lightly on the bed behind him (though if you confronted him about the habit he would probably backhand you for your cheek) and he figured he’d best run himself a bath. Pulling on enough clothing to be seen in the open Cody walked downstairs (with admitted awkwardness) to find Paul and ask for some hot water. Carrying the jug back to their bedroom he immediately filled the tub Randy had obviously used the night before.

It was with slow, absent-minded motions that Cody cleaned his body—ever so reluctantly when it came to a certain part of his anatomy wherein Ted’s essence was still apparent. When he was done he drained the tub and changed into some of the spare clothes that he had. As he caught sight of himself in the vanity mirror he looked the equivalent of a wreck he was sure; he was peaky and looked as though he had had as little sleep as he’d felt. God, what would Ted think if he saw him like this? Shaking his head Cody closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Even though he knew how badly he just wanted to cave in and never care about anything else ever again he couldn’t. Ted was going to carry on with his life and Cody owed it to him to do the same, to keep on living… or existing at least.

It was only when a hand dropped onto his shoulder that he startled back to reality and took stock of the fact that he had been staring, unseeing, into the mirror that was before him for an untold amount of time. “Y’aright?” Randy’s voice sounded, gruff from sleep, in his ear and Cody nodded jerkily, trying to adopt an air of unconcerned casualness, “Yeah, yeah m’fine.” He took stock of the situation and realised that Randy was already dressed--- and this was the man who was notorious for needing loads of pushing, shoving and forcing to actually get out of bed. Fuck, how long had he been sitting there lost in his own thoughts? He needed to get it together.

“You—“his voice came out croaky and Cody cleared his throat, a slight flush appearing on his cheeks, “Y’fancy goin’ fer some breakfast then?” he figured he should at least make an effort with food even though he doubted that it would ever have any appeal to him again. Melodrama was something that he might be considered as indulging in but in this instance not even a scrap of it was pretence. Randy nodded, placing his hat atop his head. Though the other had thoroughly scrubbed up and trimmed some of the scruff he had grown he had kept a good portion of it. If anything it added to his roguish appearance.

They made their way downstairs and Cody mentally sighed when he realised Katie-Lea was back on the front desk and Paul had retreated to the bar area to do his usual job of serving those who were brave enough to drink this early in the morning. He didn’t make an effort to force a smile but it didn’t matter anyway as Katie-Lea immediately honed in on Randy. Vaguely he wondered how John would react to watching the woman tracing her fingernails up and down his lover’s arm and giving him a blatant come-hither look which Randy didn’t seem to be taking much notice of actually.

“Gettin’ quite the notorious rep aren’tcha?” Cody asked balefully from behind his menu as Randy eventually got rid of Katie-Lea until they were ready to order. The ravenette didn’t mean to sound bitter but he was really not in the mood right then to be nice.

If Randy thought his attitude was a bit much he didn’t say anything, merely commented on what he fancied for breakfast before they then handed their menus back to Katie-Lea. “What can I say? Bit-a jail-time adds to my danger appeal,” Randy smirked across his friend as he reclined back in his chair somewhat, long legs extended.

“Fuckin’ narcissist,” he muttered with a roll of his eyes and quirk of his lips.

Randy winked at him and then straightened up a little more in his seat. “So, we’ll eat, an’ then get across an’ see our boy, head t’the trial when it’s on, an’ then…” he trailed off and Cody nodded his head, looking to the window across the room to the street outside. It wasn’t the main street, but that didn’t matter. It was a road, and a road was what Ted will have travelled… would have travelled… was going to travel, whatever, he didn’t even know anymore, but it was what had taken Ted away from him. For good.

Fuck it.

~:~

“Oh, God-- Mike!” Alex groaned, panting harshly as Mike’s body continued to rise up and down atop his own, his aching shaft being sheathed so perfectly again and again inside of Mike’s tight heat. Their clothes were partially opened, or hanging off, but hardly anything had been fully removed, sweat causing the material to stick to flushed skin.

Mike looked so gorgeous above him like this; his head was tipped back and his eyes were closed, mouth open in silent cries of ecstasy as he continued to bounce on his lap. That was a funny thing about Mike; he was a talkative, noisy person usually, but when it came to sex he was usually more limited to moans and gasps whereas Alex still found the coherency to tell Mike exactly how hot and tight he felt around him and how absolutely perfect and oh, fuck, don’t stop Mike don’t ever stop!

It was weird, but the fear that had been reining him in, keeping him constrained and away from Mike in the past, was currently being turned into a thought along the lines of, how the hell did I keep away from you for so long? And it wasn’t just the sex (even though Mike was so, so very good at that, being the best of the… three people he’d ever engaged in relations with, two being women) it was Mike. How had he stayed away from Mike? They had been friends before it had all become too much for Alex, but this time around he was determined they wouldn’t do this the same way.

There was a part of him that knew he was probably leaving fingerprint-shaped bruises on Mike’s ass given how tightly he was grasping those luscious cheeks, but Mike didn’t seem to care—if anything Alex’s naked desperation spurred him on. Teeth clashed and admittedly saliva made more of an appearance than it probably should’ve but neither man cared; it was too perfect, too long in coming, no pun intended. A garbled sound left Alex as he felt himself beginning to throb harder than ever before inside of Mike, his balls beginning to tighten in what promised to be a mind-blowing release.

Pride demanded that he had Mike there with him before he came so Alex angled his hips as best he could and bucked up sharply, hearing the delicious cry that Mike gave in response. Mike might be receiving him, but Alex was under no illusions just who exactly was directing this coupling. “Mike, please—“Alex’s face was red with exertion, eyes locked on Mike’s face as the elder man finally opened his eyes to look at him once more, the couch groaning in protest underneath them, “—tell me you’re close, please!” his thrusts continued to strike Mike’s prostate and so merely garbled sounds responded to his plea.

Seeing as Mike began to stroke himself at an alarming rate though, Alex figured that the other wasn’t far off at all from coming. Thank God! Alex ground his teeth, toes curling into the carpet underneath the couch as he continued to buck his hips up into Mike. The second the elder man released though that was it--- Alex couldn’t hold on for a single second longer as Mike’s muscles locked around him like a vice, milking him for his seed, a scalding, delicious sticky heat covering his exposed chest and Mike’s hand as the other man was finally sated of his own release. In the back of his mind he wondered if Mike’s next-door neighbour could hear them, but then decided he couldn’t care less either way.

As Mike collapsed onto his chest Alex held him close, unable to hear anything outside of their laboured breathing and his own thundering heartbeat as he floated in blissful euphoria post-climax. Mercifully Mike looked as sated as he felt and Alex couldn’t deny he was glad; in the back of his mind he was always concerned about his performance wherever Mike was concerned, be it sexually (he didn’t know if the man had had any past partners, he’d never asked, but he certainly wanted to be better than them if they existed) and so he was extremely pleased to see that he had given Mike as great a pleasure as he had felt.

As they quietened, both in their bodies and breathing, Mike pulled his head back from Alex’s chest and threaded a hand into his sweaty hair before pulling the younger man into a slow, thorough, kiss. It was no small sentiment to say that the dazed look Alex seemed to get every time that Mike kissed him was an ego-boost alright. “Don’ think I’m lettin’ ya geddaway from me this time, Alex Riley.” For a moment Alex didn’t respond--- but then the biggest grip crossed his face as he cupped Mike’s flushed, sweaty cheek with one hand, thumb stroking over the swell of it.

“I’d be offended if ya did, Mike,” he said softly. Their situation was not ideal, far from the norm, but Alex didn’t care. He’d always been an optimistic young man and he felt that somehow, someway, he and Mike could make something work between them. He could see that that was what the elder wanted, and now he was no longer a slave to his own fears, he knew that that was what he had wanted all along. That was why jealousy had choked him whenever he had seen Mike with another person, be they man or woman, who he knew was unattached.

But, those were thoughts for the morning. Alex was tired, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to sleep, and when he felt Mike’s hips swivel against his own lightly (renting a rather pathetic and submissive mewl from his throat) he wondered whether sleep was on the lawyer’s agenda either. “Take me upstairs, Deputy,” Mike murmured into his ear right before he took the sensitive lobe into his mouth. Alex moaned and mindlessly stood, managing, through some miracle, to get them both to Mike’s bedroom even with the elder still in his arms, wrapped around him, and with his pants wrapped around his ankles.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Something For Me, For Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter, Shawn and Dave are prepared for their trial, and Ted makes a decision that will send his whole life into a potential tail-spin.

Despite all of their joking around, Evan and Chris ended up not doing anything sexual that night. Unless kissing could be counted as sexual but Evan didn’t think it did in the manner in which they had been doing it. It had been chaste and sweet and had just reaffirmed more than ever that Evan was completely and utterly crazy about his ‘old man’ and Chris was totally smitten with his ‘boy’. They had fallen asleep together in Chris’ bed, Chris’ chest providing Evan’s pillow for the night--- and Chris would later tease him that he had been drooling, which would embarrass Evan greatly.

Awakening slowly, Evan sighed softly and smiled to himself as he nuzzled into the warm, gently rising and falling flesh which consisted of Chris’ torso. The ravenette allowed for a few moments of just being settled, of adapting himself to the fact that /this/ was what he was going to be awakening to from now on. No more waking up with his cheek pressed into a gritty ground instead of a pillow, no more travelling about in all weathers and no more… no more Cody and Randy. That, out of everything else that he was willing to change about his lifestyle, was an absolute kick in the teeth.

He was going to miss his friends dreadfully, there was no two ways around it. Even Chris wouldn’t fill the void that his friends would leave, but he was going to make them promise to keep in touch with him… and to visit again one day. He would be lying if he said that there wasn’t a small part of him that was somewhat concerned about the chance that both men would forget him even though he knew down in his heart that they’d never, never do that to him.

Chris shifted somewhat underneath him and Evan blinked slightly in surprise when he felt something poking him in his side from where he lay between Chris’ legs and resting on his chest. Oh ho? Seemed like his Mayor had a morning visitor… Evan shifted slowly, easing away from Chris’ body and drawing the covers with him. Though the blonde man’s expression scrunched a little at the small chill that suddenly ran over his flesh he didn’t awaken, merely sighed and slept on.

Mischief flashed in the soon-to-be-ex-outlaw’s eyes as he shimmied down Chris’ body so that he was level with the semi-swollen length. As he blew a playful breath against the flesh he was amused and surprisingly aroused by the way it seemed to grow even further just from that small action. Though it was probably subconscious Evan liked to think Chris’ body was just so attuned to his presence.

Gently, keeping his eyes on Chris’ face as he did so since he didn’t want the other to awaken before he had had a little… fun with his unsuspecting lover. After everything Chris had been through he deserved a little something, and Evan was going to be determinedly sticking to insisting Chris had his rest before they started indulging in more… rambunctious activities once more.

With easy, fleeting strokes Evan managed to rouse Chris to full hardness before he then slowly swiped his tongue around the head of him. The blonde moaned softly in his sleep and his hips arched, shifting somewhat restlessly before settling down once more; Evan had remained completely stock still and on tenterhooks until the other had definitely settled down once more to ensure that he didn’t wake him up. After a few tense seconds he resumed his activities.

He managed to get his mouth all around Chris, and even get in a few bobs, before the softly moaning and writhing man who had been slumbering peacefully beneath him seemed to register that something was a little… off with his rest, and he opened his eyes. Bleary blues met softly glimmering chocolate hues and Chris thought for a moment that he must have been dreaming still… the hard suck that then followed alerting him to the fact that he was indeed awake, and yes, his lover’s mouth was currently wrapped around his cock. Wake-up calls obviously didn’t come in the form of alarm-clocks as far as Evan was concerned, and he had to admit this way was more appealing.

“Evan--- Holy---!” Chris’ head fell back against the pillows as Evan set to work on him without mercy now that he was fully conscious, leaving Chris with no option but to grasp at the sheets and the ravenette’s hair to keep himself grounded. One of Evan’s calloused hands kept his hips pinned to the bed as the other slipped down underneath his shaft to cup his balls in a delicate grip, rolling them around and squeezing lightly.

Had it not been for the fact that he had been painfully aroused thanks to Evan’s ministrations and that he had been asleep beforehand he may have been ashamed by how quickly he came, but as Evan lapped him up like a kitten did cream he couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed. Cheeks flushed and feeling deliciously weary even though he had just awoken, Chris closed his eyes momentarily as he controlled his breathing before then opening them once more and extending a hand out to the other. Evan met him halfway, drawing him into a surprisingly sweet kiss.

“Mornin’ ol’ man,” Evan said cheerfully and Chris whacked him lightly on the back with a chuckle, shaking his head.

“I’ll give you old,” Chris muttered as they separated, Evan starting to get up from the bed to pull his boxers and shirt on for covering, though he didn’t bother to button it. No one’d find two men casually dressed around one another unusual, after all, single men were not supposed to be renowned for their manners of habits of hygiene.

“M’alright to use your kitchen, right?” Evan asked as he paused in the doorway, looking back over his shoulder at Chris. Said blonde was currently wondering if Evan knew how attractive he looked.

“Y-Yeah, go ahead,” Chris came back to himself and smiled slowly, “After all, s’your house too, now, remember?” a shy blush covered Evan’s cheeks and the outlaw’s eyes dropped to the ground as he gave a coy nod before then turning and heading out of the room before he made a bigger fool of himself. Chris lay back on his bed for a few more moments, revelling in how everything /finally/ seemed to be falling together after all of the drama they had experienced over the past few days. Eventually though he forced himself out of bed and reluctantly got changed in full; he always had to be prepared in case someone called.

When he got downstairs Evan was there with the kettle on and the hearth burning, making some toast for them both. Heading into the larder Chris got them both some cold meats and butter, bringing them to the table. “Ya still need t’get a new coffee-table,” he mused and Chris nodded with a chuckle before giving the other a playful look.

“I don’ know though… I kinda like the big open space there. Could come in handy, doncha think?”

For a moment Evan looked startled and then he merely threw Chris an amused smile, “Yeh’re very cheeky, Mr Mayor.”

It was definitely a pleasant change for Chris to be breakfasting with someone other than himself for company for a change, and the blonde didn’t recall a time when he had actually felt better than this--- and he didn’t doubt that it was all thanks to Evan. When they finished eating Evan went to wash and change, knowing that he would have to go and collect his other things back from the hotel room he and his friends had been sharing, but that could come later. As Evan vanished upstairs though Chris heard a knock at the front door. Despite himself a frission of fear ran through him.

Shaking himself and squaring his shoulders (if Evan saw him like this he was bound to get even more protective than he had been since he’d first awoken) Chris moved to the door and then opened it. His brows rose slightly in surprise as he caught sight of a much more contented looking Randy and a rather despondent looking Cody. “Mornin’ boys,” he greeted, stepping back, “C’mon in.” They were undoubtedly there for Evan and he wasn’t about to stop them.

“Mornin’ Chris, how’re ya feelin’?” Randy asked as he and Cody took perches on the couch as Chris sat opposite them on the smaller one.

“Not too bad, thanks,” the blonde nodded, touching the back of his head, “Still sorta delicate, but nothin’ that’s gonna keep me from sortin’ stuff out today,” he and Randy exchanged a smile but for all the lack of animation Cody was showing he may well have been a statue. The feeling was though that he shouldn’t ask and so he went with that reaction, “I was plannin’ t’stop by the jailhouse an’ see the sheriff an’ check on the prisoners before goin’ on t’the courthouse t’see that everythin’s been set up right fer it.”

“We’ll come witcha,” Randy nodded, “We’re plannin’ on hangin’ around fer t’trial anyhow.” Chris nodded his head, then paused in his verbal response as Evan suddenly sauntered in in his completely subconscious and rather sexy manner. Chris was really going to need to practice tending to visitors whilst Evan was in the room with him otherwise he was going to give them both away big time.

The outlaw looked surprised only momentarily to see his friends before he smiled, “Hey.” The smile began to slip however when he caught sight of Cody.

Randy stood suddenly and said, “Why don’ we start makin’ our way over there, huh Chris? The boys can follow us.” He was good at talking, sure, but he knew that when it came to emotions Evan was the better one to talk to… and Cody needed to vent and start getting his head on straight if they had any hope of beginning their journey to the border after this was all done. Besides, he may also be needed in the court to give evidence and if he wasn’t on top of his game then mistakes could be made.

Sensing the ruse for what it was Chris nodded and handed Evan a key, “Lock up after yeh’re done,” he said and Evan nodded, blushing slightly as Chris kissed his cheek before leaving with Randy.

~:~

John scrubbed at his face as he looked into the cells where his prisoners were. Hunter had given up on the threats at around midnight and finally gone to sleep, Shawn as well, although neither looked easy. Batista was sitting up with his back to the wall, hat pulled over his eyes. He might have been sleeping, but who knew? He just wanted to finish with the trial and go to bed. Though whether he’d be sleeping alone or not, he had no idea.

He was sipping at an almost-cold coffee when the door of the jailhouse creaked open and he looked up, expecting Riley or possibly Chris. He hadn’t expected to see Ted there but that was who he got; looking like he hadn’t slept at all, pale and drawn with a day’s worth of blonde stubble over his face. The man’s eyes were dulled over and John frowned as he rose to indicate to Ted to stand away from the cells. “Ted? What’s goin’ on? Why’re your brothers here?”

“To take me home,” Ted replied, which was pretty much what John had expected. “They wanna ride out this mornin’.”

“Are ya goin’?”

“Do I have a choice?” Ted sighed. “My dad sent them to come get me. He thinks I took off because of some need to find myself or somethin’ and I’m gonna settle down just fine an’ be happy with a wife and family – he got me the first one and I suppose I’m supposed to work on the second myself.”

John grimaced. He was aware that arranged marriages were still popular, particularly among the moneyed, but he didn’t like the idea. If his own parents had been so heavy-handed about their desire to have him in the usual situation, well, he’d have freaked out. Ted clearly wasn’t used to going against his parents, but John could see he was being torn up inside.

“So yer goin’?”

“What else can I do?” Ted balled his fists in frustration. “I don’t like it, but I gotta do it.”

“Why?”

Both men turned and looked toward the cells, startled. The big man, Batista, had only shifted a little to look beneath the brim of his hat at them.

“It ain’t none of your nevermind Batista,” John called, not loudly enough to wake the other two men, before turning his attention back to Ted. “So – yer here ta say goodbye?”

“And thanks.” Ted offered John his hand and the man shook it. “I wouldn’t even have gotten here without you and it’s been a really good time, even if it couldn’t last.”

“It was my pleasure and real good ta meecha. I’ll drop by next time I’m in yer neck of the woods.” John hesitated. “Aren’t you stayin’ fer the trial?”

“My brother Michael’s already unhappy ‘bout us bein’ delayed yesterday,” replied Ted delicately, not giving the reason for the delay. “He wants us to make good time today and to be honest...” He shrugged. “I was real interested yesterday but now it don’t seem anywhere near as important.”

“So, yer leavin’ ‘cause yer daddy ordered it?” Batista snorted, sounding a little amused and Ted shot him a dirty look. “An’ here’s me thinkin’ y’were a grown man, but y’ain’t even got a pair.”

“You might wanna keep yer mouth shut there,” said John warningly.

“What’re ya gonna do, shoot me?” Batista had still not really moved and Ted couldn’t see his eyes, but he could feel them fixed on him. “Let me tell ya ‘bout a man I used ta know. He weren’t no good man, but he was happy enough. Had him a wife and a li’l girl and everythin’ was right in his world. Right up ‘til the day they was gone, her dead and the child vanished, probably killed at the same time but who ever knows? He weren’t no good man ta start with but he got worse after that, ‘cause far as he saw there weren’t no reason fer him ta stay upright and sniffin’ the air. Nothin’ mattered, not money, not people. He got cold. You got that same look ‘bout ya, like there ain’t nothin’ that matters. It’s somethin’ that ain’t in yer eyes kid. And yer too damned young ta have no hope fer the future.”

Ted stared at him until John rested a hand on his shoulder and he tore his eyes away. “Thanks fer that enlightnin’ tale. Moral an’ lifestyle advice from a man ‘bout ta have his head in a noose.”

Batista gave a shrug and slumped down on the bench again. John turned to look at Ted, not sure if he liked the somewhat thoughtful expression there. “It’s all gonna work out Ted. Good luck and I owe ya fer hirin’ that lawyer... if ya need anythin’ y’can always find me.”

“I’ll do that.” But Ted looked like he wasn’t really focusing on the conversation and John tried to hide his concern. He knew that in the same position, he’d be ready to do something crazy, not go timidly into the situation and keep his mouth shut. But he wasn’t Ted and wasn’t in the same situation. When he’d gone to Ted’s town he had learned that Ted’s father hadn’t got where he was by accepting no for an answer and he suspected that Ted had never gone against the man. Now was certainly not the time or the situation for a rebellion.

Ted managed a half-smile and left the jailhouse – for the last time, he thought to himself with a slight smirk. It sounded stupid to think he’d miss such a place, but he’d spent enough time in there or thinking about what was happening in there to have some oddly fond memories of the place – or at least he did now that he knew there would be no harm coming to his friends. He headed back to the saloon slowly, hands in his pockets and not taking much notice of anything, although he kept an eye out for Cody... his lover didn’t seem to be around though. He had probably gone to meet with Evan and Chris and Ted didn’t need to go in that direction – although he considered it. He felt the need to see the man and knowing how close he was without being able to see him was driving him insane. But he had said his goodbyes. To drag it out any more would only hurt them both.

On the other hand, if he hurried he could make it to Chris’ and get his kisses from Cody before they had to go to the trial...

He didn’t. Instead he got back to the saloon and noticed that Wade had actually opened for breakfast, any excuse for money-making and the place was pretty close to the courthouse. Walking inside, he wasn’t surprised to see that his brothers had come down and were waiting patiently for food, although the last thing Ted felt like was eating he went over to them and took a seat.

“Hi Ted,” said Brett brightly. “You feelin’ okay today?”

Ted gave some noncommittal sound and worried at his lip with his teeth. In less than an hour they would be on the way, Bone Orchard just a spot in the distance. And then he’d be home and married and completely and utterly miserable with no chance of seeing Cody ever again. But he supposed it was like that Batista guy said, happiness could never last. Although that hadn’t been the point of the story he supposed.

Mike gave him an exasperated look. “We ordered you breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Fine. But it’s a hell of a long ride back home and I’m not stopping in the first town we come to just because you’re hungry. I wanna get home.”

“And you should want that too,” added Brett. “Meetin’ your new wife and all. If you hurry up and order, then we won’t have to stop until this evenin’.”

Ted used the tip of his finger to trace patterns on the table. “Uh-huh.”

“Are you even listenin’ to me?”

“Come on Ted,” said Mike, trying to be conciliatory rather than irritated. “You must’ve missed home. When we get back, we’ll get Sylvia to put on some huge meal and wine, you can tell us everything you got up to while you were away...” He trailed off as Ted suddenly began laughing, a slightly hysterical edge to it. “What’s so funny about that?”

“I’m thinkin’ ‘bout everythin’ I got up to while I was here,” said Ted, looking at Mike thoughtfully. Mike looked back at him, a frown coming over his face. For the first time since they had told Ted about his new fiancée he looked animated, more like his old self –and yet not quite. He had that determined look on his face that he always wore when he was about to argue with his older brother with something he felt was important, but Mike couldn’t think for a moment what that might be.

“Good to see you in a better mood,” he said. “So, you gonna order breakfast before we go?”

“I’m not goin’.”

Mike blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not goin’.” Ted smiled, feeling an odd mixture of excitement and sheer terror. He had never gone against his fathers wishes in such a fashion before – and judging by the disbelief he saw there, his brothers didn’t believe it either.

Brett stared at him with wide blue eyes that were so much like his own – but Brett wasn’t going to be the problem. Mike was. Mike looked back at Ted with his own eyes narrowing slightly, a look so much like their fathers when one of them seemed about to misbehave that Ted almost quailed; it was like his old man was channelling himself through his eldest child.

“Ted.” Mike DiBiase’s voice was low, probably so that no one on the other tables would overhear them. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re coming home with us the moment that this meal is ended, do I make myself clear?”

~:~

Mike never closed the curtains when he had to be at work, relying on the sun to act as his alarm. It always worked, he wasn’t one of those people who could sleep when there was a light in their face and this time was no exception; he was awake early – only something was different. There was an arm thrown over his waist, someone breathing steadily on the back of his neck. Alex. Mike didn’t move a muscle but he allowed himself a smile. This time, Alex hadn’t crept out in the middle of the night. The last time he had woken to find himself alone and realised that Alex had been ashamed of what they had done together, it had made him feel sordid, lain a bad feeling over what should otherwise have been one of his best memories. It wasn’t like that this morning.

Mike’s smile grew as he remembered some of the things they had done last night; how he had kissed Alex on the couch and they’d been so damned anxious to be together that they had barely even managed to get their clothes off, how they’d gone up the stairs afterward and repeated the whole thing – how Alex had moaned his name in the throes of passion and how damned hot he had sounded. Okay, so it wasn’t going to be easy to have any kind of real relationship but Mike was more than willing to try. And he just had to hope that Alex was over his trepidation. They could keep it a secret, he was sure of it.

Rolling onto his side, he realised that Alex was well and truly out of it, fast asleep in spite of Mike’s moving but there was a smile on the blondes face and Mike liked to think he had something to do with that. He was tempted to just stay in bed and curl against his lover until he woke, but instead he reached out for his pocket watch, didn’t find it (it was still down the stairs, forgotten in the heat of the moment) and reluctantly eased himself out of bed. Finding his robe he went down the stairs and blushed slightly as he saw the couch where he and Alex had disrobed and made love the night before, their clothes still scattered around the floor. The clothes that they had managed to take off at least. Humming, he found his watch and judged that they had just over an hour before Alex had to leave and get to the jailhouse, so he lit the stove and started to make coffee. He thought his boyfriend (the word making him grin even though it was probably inappropriate) would appreciate the gesture.

He made a plate of bread and butter, not in the mood to make anything more adventurous and took it and the cups upstairs. Alex had shifted into the warm spot that Mike had left behind, making the lawyer chuckle as he put the things in his hands on the bedside table and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder to shake him awake.

“Buh?”

“Wake up deputy. You got work to do in a bit.”

“Wk?” Alex blinked open blue eyes and gave a sleepy smile when he saw Mike. “Mornin’.”

“Mornin’.” Mike looked amused.

“Y’not wearin’ yer tie.”

“I’m not wearin’ my pants either,” returned Mike, laughing. “Why does it matter?”

Alex turned onto his back, grabbing Mike by the wrist and pulling him down against his chest. “’Cause I was hopin’ ta do that by yankin’ ya down by the tie.”

Mike stored the snippet of information away even as he laughed at the comment. Alex ran a hand down Mike’s back, finding the edge of the robe and letting his hand wander beneath. Mike gave a pleasurable shiver. Oh yeah, Alex seemed well and truly over whatever had made him creep out of the house the last time.

“You’d gotta get ready to go get the prisoner,” Mike protested, although not too much. “And the coffee’ll get cold.”

“Let it get cold then,” said Alex, talking into Mike’s ear and then nipping at the lobe. Mike could hear the smile in the man’s voice. “We got time.”

“Damn man, you’re insatiable!”

Alex wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but he could guess in context. “It ain’t me, it’s you. Every time I saw ya, couldn’t take my damned eyes offa ya – and now I ain’t about ta take my damned hands offa ya neither.”

MIek grinned as he found himself divested of the scant covering he wore. “Trust me Alex,” he murmured as he was rolled onto his back. “As long as I’ve been waitin’, I’m not about to let you.”

~:~

If anyone found it odd that Chris was being walked to the courthouse by Randy instead of Evan there was no comment on it, at least not to their faces. Chris waited until they were out of sight of his house before he glanced over at Randy. “What’s up with Cody?”

Randy was quiet for a moment as if debating what to say, then appeared to decide that he’d hear it off Evan anyway. “Ted’s gone, or goin’. His brothers showed up in town, takin’ him home ta get married.”

Chris raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Whoa. That’s harsh, fer both of ‘em. Take it Cody ain’t too pleased?”

“Well, Cody’s a lot more, uh, open than Evvie is.” Randy thought it over. “See, when we left Bone Orchard the last time, Evan was upset over somethin’ he wasn’t sharin’ and it took me ‘til we got back ta work out what that was. He keeps things to himself and we knew he weren’t himself but he could hide it mosta the time. Cody ain’t like that, he shows when he’s upset. And he’s real upset. Still, there ain’t nothin’ that can be done. He knew it’d end like this.”

Chris nodded. “I suppose it don’t help that Ted’s from money.”

“It sure don’t. John’s different, he can come and go as he pleases but with Ted, he’s got obligations and expectations.”

“Does that mean John’s gonna be stayin’?”

“I got no clue. Me and Cody, we ain’t. We gotta get away for a while at least, ‘til the heats off.”

“But yer gonna be back fer him.”

It wasn’t a question and Randy considered it before nodding. “Yeah. I will be.”

“Cody won’t be able ta do that.” Chris sighed, thinking about it a moment. “I’d hate it, if that was me and there was nothin’ I could do. I feel fer the both of ‘em.”

“So do I,” agreed Randy. “Shame there ain’t nothin’ we can do.”

Chris nodded and they fell into silence for a few minutes as they walked on. Chris was the one to break the silence. “I wonder what’s gonna happen at Helmsley’s trial.”

“He’s gonna go ta jail, ain’t he?”

“I dunno. He’s not gonna go down lightly. His wife’ll probably be tryin’ ta do somethin’, but it ain’t like she’s had time ta find a lawyer from outta town, or I don’t think so. And if she hired Cole or Mizanin, I ain’t heard nothin’ ‘bout it.”

“Yer thinkin’ he might be able ta buy himself outta trouble.”

“Maybe.” Chris thought it over. “I’m also concerned that if he ain’t gonna get outta trouble, he might wanna get someone else ta go down with him.” He shot Randy a look. “Think ya can deny there’s any impropriety with you two?”

“Don’t know that I’ll bother.” Randy smirked. “After all, neither of us are gonna be stickin’ ‘round.”

“Then again, I don’t know that the folks in town’ll be so acceptin’.” Chris sighed. “Hell, maybe I’m worried over nothin’. But things have been so strange lately with everythin’ that’s been happenin’ – I keep expectin’ things ta go wrong.”

~:~

“No,” Ted repeated again, that terrifying exhilaration running through him once more. It wasn’t as though he’d never said the word before but usually the gravity of the question/sentiment he was giving a response to was nowhere near as big in magnitude as this one. Once again Brett looked close to keeling over in shock and Mike looked as though he was perhaps half a minute away from having steam shoot out of his ears in rage.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you Theodore, but it’s going to stop right now!” Mike hissed, hastily forcing a smile as their food arrived. Ted didn’t touch the food and neither Brett not Mike seemed to have as much of an appetite as they had appeared to before. When it became glaringly apparent that no more was going to be eaten Mike left money as payment and then stood up, gripping Ted’s shoulder in hand and causing the middle-child to narrow his eyes warningly as the younger blonde gnawed on his lip somewhat. He’d always been jumpy, bless him, and this wasn’t helping him at all.

As soon as they got outside and could avoid a scene (Ted had only avoided doing so inside because he didn’t want to embarrass Wade) Ted yanked himself away from Mike and straightened up so that he was toe-to-toe with his brother, Brett trying to squeeze in between them to force them apart but having little success in doing so. “I am not going back,” Ted repeated, “I don’ want to go back to that life of monotony, and I sure as hell don’ wanna sign my life away to some girl that I ain’t never met!” it was amazing how only a few days away from the well-spoken constraints of his family had Ted showing some of the dialect of the area, causing Mike to wince each time.

“Don’t be so ungrateful!” Mike yelled, cheeks turning a blotchy red. Ted knew that he must have severely pushed Mike’s buttons to have the other shouting in public for although it wasn’t as though he ever shouted he never, never ever shouted or allowed personal matters to be handled in public. Mike was the one who had spent the most time around their father, and it showed, and Brett was the one who had been most babied by their mother, something else that showed without being insulting about his baby brother. Ted, honestly, was an equal mix of both, and he supposed that showed too.

“I’m not ungrateful,” Ted said, and that was true; he was grateful for the love and concern his family had for him even if their ways at showing it were ways he didn’t much appreciate. The blonde took a deep breath, the cool breeze of the morning filling his lungs and making him feel as though he was taking his first breath all over again. He knew he was doing the right thing. It would be hard, for many, many reasons, but he had to be selfish and do something that his heart wanted for once as opposed to what duty demanded of him. He just hoped that his attempts wouldn’t be rebuffed when he went to go seek his love out. Please God, please don’t let Cody have left for the border yet.

“I just need to do something for me, for once,” he looked at his brothers, expression softening, “I hope you can understand one day. Tell Ma and father not to worry, and that I love you all. One day we’ll see each other again.” Neither Brett nor Mike could begin to fathom what Ted was talking about before the middle-child was turning on his heel and starting to run down the street.

“Ted!” Brett cried, frozen in place much like Mike.

However, the eldest soon recovered and began to run after the blonde. “Theodore Marvin get back here this instant!”

It was this cry that caught the attention of Randy and Chris as they continued to make their way to the courthouse. Wide-eyed with surprise the two older men watched as Ted vaulted over a low wall with surprising skill, vanishing into a side-alley.

A man who seemed a year or so older than Ted came skidding around the corner. He was well dressed and bore something of a resemblance to the fleeing DiBiase and so the two would have wondered whether they were related if they hadn’t already known it. The second figure to come around the corner though, flushed and panting for breath, left no hesitation in the two men deducing that these were Ted’s brothers--- the small blonde looked like Ted minus a bit of age, height and muscle definition.

“Damn it!” the dark haired man cursed, seeming uncertain which path to take, though it probably didn’t help that they had absolutely no knowledge of the area and couldn’t resist running around. Though muggings weren’t overly common in Bone Orchard, Chris was sad to admit that they existed and if these two well-dressed and obviously prosperous young men happened upon the wrong people, well, then those statistics were going to be increasing.

The small blonde seemed to be trying to pacify the taller, “We’ll find him, Mike, it’s just shock making him act like this.”

Randy had to admit he was rather surprised because although Ted was obviously quite physically fit he had never actually seen him doing too much in the way of actual physical activity before, and he had always seemed like such a good boy so to see him obviously fleeing from his brothers after the two had come to fetch him was definitely not expected of the blonde... absently he wondered where Ted would have gone to as the other may know the area better than his brothers but he didn’t know it that well, and where he was heading was rather out of the way, in the direction of Chris’ place, so there weren’t many places to hide. He wondered whether he should point this out to the brothers or just keep out of it. In the end it was his loyalty to Cody and the appreciation he had for all of Ted’s help that had him keeping mum, and giving Chris a small nudge to do the same thing.

The two brothers seemed about to head back towards the main street when they seemed to catch sight of something. Randy’s brows rose as he realised that his lover was the one they had zoned in one, Batista, Helmsley and Michaels all being pulled along behind him, each man cuffed and the cuffs being connected to a singular chain so that it would be very difficult for many of them to escape. Riley was walking to the back of the train of prisoners, Jamie Noble shuffling alongside him, his hand on his gun in obvious unease; how he became a deputy Randy had no idea.

“Sheriff?” the dark haired DiBiase called, obviously experimentally and John turned his head reflexively, his eyes widening a fraction when he realised who was addressing him. He slowed just so, though Randy could tell he was obviously uneasy about having the DiBiases so close to the prisoners given how much Ted had been involved in the current situation.

Catching Chris’ eyes he saw that the blonde seemed to be having a similar train of thought and said, “Shall we give the sheriff a hand?” Randy nodded casually, rolling his shoulders and acting unconcerned. Chris could see the slight twitch in Randy’s cheek though, as though he wanted to do so much more than approach John.

Just as the two DiBiases reached John, Chris called, “Sheriff, need a hand there?”

John seemed relieved for a moment though was quick to place a more neutral smile on his face as he greeted Chris, “Thank ya very much, Mayor, would ya mind just headin’ inside with t’deputies t’get this lot settled in the cells before t’trial?” he indicated the two men, “These gentleman seem to need my help.” Chris nodded his head, indicating with a finger for Alex to move forward, Chris walking more to the side of the prisoners--- and sending Hunter a winning smile as the man glowered at him with undeniable bitterness.

Randy’s eyes met John’s and he arched a brow in silent question before his gaze slipped to Mike and Brett and John nodded his head just slightly before turning his attention to the obviously growing impatient young man, “Nice t’see ya again, Mr DiBiase,” he extended a hand and Mike shook it; he had met John when he had first come to the DiBiase home after Ted’s abduction by Randy and his group, though Mike obviously didn’t recognise Randy from the wanted posters as he didn’t so much as flinch as the man walked past with Chris and the prisoners after the moment of silent communication with John. “Is there somethin’ I can help ya with?”

“Yes, actually,” Mike said, glad that there was somebody that he recognised and could trust, the authority figure having been the one to come out with Ted on this venture and so maybe he could convince the blonde to return home—once they had located where he had run off to of course. “Is there somewhere that we can talk?” he asked, knowing the sooner they got started the sooner he and his brothers could be on their way home.

John nodded but looked apologetic, “We can, but I’m afraid I can’ spend too long chattin’; we got a big trial on today an’ as the actin’ sheriff it’s my duty t’be there.” Mike seemed somewhat frustrated by this sentiment but nodded his head, following as John motioned that they could go into the courthouse for a bit of privacy, Brett hastening to keep to Mike’s side as they headed in with John.


	40. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Run, Run As Fast As Ya Can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Mike enjoy the remainder of their morning together. Meanwhile, Ted runs until he finds the one he's searching for, and John lays down a little law for the other DiBiase brothers and their intentions.

Now, Mike wasn’t that much older than Alex, but by the time the younger was done with him Mike felt as though he had been put through the wringer several times--- in a good way though. Oh, so very in the good way. “Ngh~~~Ah-lex!” with the final shuddering cry Mike collapsed back onto the pillows, feeling Alex giving a few deep, erratic thrusts into his body before he too came, Mike’s name on his lips and spilling himself deep inside of Mike. The almost scalding heat of Alex’s essence inside of him was so dirty and yet so perfectly intimate that he never wanted the feeling to end. Realistically though he knew he was going to have to clean up before he got changed that morning. Feeling almost numb with pleasure Mike’s fingers caressed the sweaty length of Alex’s gently shifting back.

“Goddamn, Alex,” Mike breathed when he had managed to get some breath back, the dirty blonde pulling away from where he had had his face buried in Mike’s neck long enough to throw the other a pleased and borderline smug smile. If he hadn’t been feeling so damn smug himself then he would have maybe chastised the other for showing such an open expression out of principle, but as it was he merely leant in and kissed those smiling lips. He didn’t think he was going to stop smiling himself, ever. Gently, with obvious reluctance, Alex eased himself out of Mike’s body and the brunette winced just a little bit, already feeling bereft at the loss.

Unable to help himself Alex chuckled somewhat, Mike looking momentarily insecure before his customary arched brow look greeted him. “Sorry,” Alex nuzzled Mike’s flushed cheek lightly with his nose before admitting, “I was just thinkin’ that since I went a little rough on ya it’s probably a good thing ya don’ like ridin’ horses.”

For a moment Mike merely stared at the chuckling man now lying beside him before he then whacked his toned chest lightly, shaking his head, “You are such a fool, Alex.”

Alex’s expression sobered slightly, but there was still a smile on his face and tenderness in his eyes that made Mike’s breath catch, Alex’s words only adding to it. “I’m your fool, Michael Mizanin.”

“D-Damn straight,” the brunette nodded quickly when he recovered himself from the surprisingly assured admittance, “An’ if ya forgeddit, then I’ll jus’ have t’remind you.”

An impish grin appeared on Alex’s face, highlighting the innocence that he had retained even though childhood had long since passed them by, “Lookin’ forward t’it,” the deputy responded.

Mike rolled his eyes affectionately, “God, I’ve created a fiend!” the brunette reluctantly made an effort and got out of bed, moving to wash up using the basin and cloth that he had on the top of his chest of drawers. Alex watched the other as he cleaned himself, rousing from the bed eventually to do the same thing for himself.

They changed into their clothes, though as Mike went to tie his tie Alex caught his hands and gently pushed them down. Amused and slightly curious Mike obediently lowered his hands and then felt his cheeks warm up somewhat as Alex merely tied his tie for him and then dropped a light kiss to his lips. “There,” Alex smiled, seemingly oblivious to how the somewhat possessive gesture had affected Mike.

Reaching a hand up Mike brushed a lock of Alex’s hair back and then nodded his head, “Well, are you ready to go?” they took a slice of bread-and-butter each (and forced down some of the chilly coffee for the sake of the affect it had on them as opposed to it being a pleasant experience) and then made their way downstairs. Alex wondered whether they should leave separately but then pushed the idea away; he wasn’t going to let this seem shameful this time around, even if it was secret.

The grins on their faces probably gave them away a mile off as they began walking towards the jailhouse but there was very little that either of them could do to make the smiles stop. Mike was walking just this side of irregular and Alex couldn’t help but feel a small thrill at the action; he liked that Mike was going to be able to feel what they had done each time he moved, his own body feeling pleasantly achy in its own right. He may have seemed flip earlier when he said he’d have a hard time taking his hands from Mike but he was already taking stock of the truth in the sentiment instead.

~:~

“So… since they went off without us I’m thinkin’ ya wanted t’talk huh Codes?” Evan asked gently, seeing the way the other outlaw was standing against the mantelpiece with his hat in one hand and his forehead resting against the other where it held onto the fireplace.

Something told him that he already knew what was up, but he waited until Cody had confirmed with a quiet, “He’s leavin’, Ev. He’s goin’ home an’…” Cody’s jaw clenched so tightly that Evan was afraid he’d break it. He’d genuinely never seen Cody this wound up before; it was admittedly a little frightening to witness.

Moving, Evan placed a hand on his friend’s back, just waiting. Cody didn’t need his words then, he merely needed his comfort. The ravenette seemed to be looking at something that Evan couldn’t see, eyes unblinking and unwavering. “He’s… his dad’s gone an’ arranged a marriage fer ‘im,” Cody whispered, the words like poison on his tongue. That caused Evan to startle somewhat--- if the first had been upsetting than the second had to be devastating for Cody even though he had known that there was always that reality in the background.

Rubbing his friends back Evan sighed gently and shook his head, “I’m sorry, Code.”

The ravenette shook his head and forced a thin smile, eyes watering but knowing that crying (again) wasn’t going to help his situation any more than the first time. “Let’s get goin’ yeah? Randy might be threatenin’ Chris with castration by this point if we don’ watch it.” Evan winced slightly at the mere suggestion and rolled his eyes.

However, as they reached the door Evan felt himself being pulled back by his hand and into Cody’s embrace. “I’m gonna miss you as much as I’m gonna miss him…” Cody mumbled.

Evan’s surprised expression softened somewhat as he held the other back and nodded his head, “I’m gonna miss ya too, Cody. An’ if ya an’ Randy don’ come an’ visit me t’next time ye’re in this neck-a the woods then I’m going t’kick your ass.” That got a laugh out of Cody even though it was weak and half-hearted. This time as Evan moved to the door Cody didn’t stop him, following him outside and then stood to one side so that Evan could lock up behind them.

Since Cody was so busy staring down at his own boots Evan was the one who noticed the figure heading towards them at a rather impressive speed. The identity of the person caused him a two-fold surprise as a) he thought he was supposed to have been gone and b) he had never seen the man looking anything less than pristine and running just didn’t seem befitting of someone of his station. As the man drew close enough Evan grinned to himself and reached a hand to shove Cody. The ravenette was unprepared for the action and so began to fall, arms wind-milling and only being saved from a painful landing by a connection with a warm, solid chest. Glowering at his friend in confusion and irritation, an embarrassed Cody then turned to give an apology to who he had landed on. When he saw whose arms he was in though his heart began to pound even as his mouth ran dry.

“Ted?”

Ted looked back at Cody with an expression of wild exhilaration that Cody had never seen there before. The blonde looked slightly puffy around the eyes as if he hadn’t slept, but those eyes were wide and excited, hair mussed and sticking up, the man taking hurried breaths like he’d been running. But he was grinning, as if the night before he hadn’t looked like the world was coming to an end.

“Teddy, what the hell?”

“I’m not leavin’!”

Cody blinked. “Wait, what?”

“I mean, I’m not goin’ home – I can’t do it Cody, I just can’t. Ever since I headed out from there, I’ve felt – I dunno, like I was really me and not the middle DiBiase child and I was doin’ what I really wanted for once. And that’s not even all of it or most of it—“ He stared at Cody, begging him to understand. “I know you said we couldn’t run but I have to Cody, I have to!”

Cody felt like he was missing the bigger picture, but his brain had latched on to the words I’m not leavin’ and that was all he could think of. His former despondency had been infected with a thin thread of hope, but he barely dared to acknowledge it in case it turned out he’d missed something after all. “But – but Ted, I thought yer brothers’d turned up ta give ya an escort!”

“I gave ‘em the slip and that reminds me – if ya see anyone headin’ our way, we need ta hide.”

Cody grasped at the information that Ted had given and tried very hard not to consider Ted running across town as if all the hounds of hell were on his tail. He found the idea both disturbing and rather good, his mind wanted to dwell on it. “We need ta find somewhere ta hide out the both of us while we talk this over.”

Evan had been entirely forgotten by the pair of them but had in fact been watching the exchange with great interest. “Here,” he said, making both of them jump slightly. “Take the keys to the mayor’s house. Ya can get offa the street in there.”

“Won’t Chris mind?” asked Cody.

“He keeps remindin’ me it’s my house too. Just don’t go nowhere ‘til I get back.” He winked. “Won’t look good if I lose the keys givin’ ‘em to every outlaw that passes.”

“Thanks Ev.”

“See you boys later.” Evan continued jauntily down the street, hands in his pockets while Cody and Ted went into the mayor’s house. Ted locked the door behind him and then went into the living room to close the curtains, with what Cody privately thought of as rather an adorable display of concern.

Ted looked around the living room, slightly curious since he’d never been inside Chris’ house before. “It’s kinda bare in here,” he observed. “Needs a coffee table or somethin’.”

“I guess I ain’t got your eye fer indoor furnishin’.” Cody took Ted’s hand and all but dragged the man over to the couch and making him sit. He took Ted’s hand in his own and looked into the man’s face, still barely able to believe he was seeing the other when he’d assumed they would never lay eyes on one another again. “What’s goin’ on Teddy? Start from the beginnin’.”

Ted looked like he was about to answer but instead leaned in and crashed their lips together. Cody made a muffled and slightly surprised sound before releasing Ted’s hands and wrapping his hands over the other’s shoulders, parting his lips and allowing Ted full access to his mouth. He might not have expected the kiss but that didn’t mean he didn’t want it, far from it. Ted was forceful in his actions in a way he had never been when they had first started this thing between them and when they finally parted, Cody was panting a little. He ran a tongue over his lips, tasting Ted there – and that in itself was a miracle given that he had never expected to have that again. The thread of hope he had felt suddenly made itself known again and refused to leave him. “Teddy – tell me what’s goin’ on.”

They remained in each others’ arms as Ted told him everything; about the girl he was supposed to marry (and Cody felt a sneer wanting to come over his face as he heard about her money and again when he heard what Ted’s brothers had repeated when Ted was out of the room), about how he had felt voided of anything but misery, about how he had felt physically sick as he said his goodbye to John knowing that he would never be back.

“That guy Batista started – I dunno, not laughin’ at me exactly.” He frowned as he considered it. “He wanted to know why I was even doin’ what my dad wanted when it wasn’t what I wanted and I looked like I lost all my hope already and I was too young for it. So I got to thinkin’ about that. Why the hell am I listening to my father? I’m an adult. There’s nothin’ he can do if I don’t let him. And as soon as I thought of that it was like – like I dunno, a weight bein’ lifted offa me. I stopped feelin’ dead.” He tilted his head to the side, trying to word things but not sure how to. “It was a scary feelin’. I could barely get myself to move. Felt like if I fell, I’d just lie there and let folk walk on me ‘til I got crushed. I ain’t felt like that before and I don’t wanna feel like that ever again. But doin’ this – it changed that. Made me feel like myself again, only better. In control.”

Cody chewed on his lip a moment. “So, you left your brothers?”

Ted actually laughed. “Oh, I wish you could have seen it. Mike told me ta finish up so we could leave an’ I just said no. Once we got outside he told me and I still said no. He was yellin’ and carryin’ on and he hates that sorta thing in public, thinks those things should be talked over in private. ‘Specially among us, since we’re supposed to be settin’ an example to the townsfolk who ain’t so fortunate. I just told him to give my love and thanks to my parents and that I hoped to see them again someday. And then I ran.”

“You just ran?”

“Lost ‘em on the main street somewhere.”

“Teddy.” Cody looked him straight in the eye. “If ya really do this, if ya don’t go back with them, yer left with nothin’. The money in yer pocket, whatever ya got left after payin’ Mizanin a fortune. What yer wearin’, if yer serious ‘bout not runnin’ into yer brothers again. And what about yer horse? They’ll be waitin’ fer ya to go back an’ get her. You’ll be broke Teddy, and homeless and it ain’t like money falls on outta the sky.”

Ted looked slightly taken aback by this cold truth. “I don’t need money Cody and I don’t need things. All that stuff, it comes with a price tag of its own and I ain’t willin’ ta pay. I could live in the big house, have all the money from the mine, never hafta worry ‘bout where the next meal’s comin’ from, or learn how to cook for myself. But I’d hafta keep up appearances with some woman who’s been bought for me and never really live for myself. You’re right; as things stand right now I’ve got nothin’ at all. But I feel like this is the right thing to do – I’ve never felt better about the future in my life.”

He stroked Cody’s cheek, dropping his eyes. “Cody – I know I didn’t tell you I was gonna do this. I didn’t know I was gonna ‘til I was doin’ it. And I know you and Randy didn’t exactly have plans to take me along with you. I guessed from you tryin’ to talk me into goin’ home that it’s not what you wanted—“

Cody’s eyes widened. “What? Ya think I wouldn’t want ya with me?”

“Well... you did point out all the reasons we couldn’t run away together and here I am doin’ the opposite of what you said,” Ted pointed out, rather quietly. “But it’s okay. I ain’t tryin’ to force your hand or anything so crass. I just want to be free of it all. If you and Randy leave here today and don’t want me there, I won’t protest your choice. But it won’t change anythin’ either. I’m not goin’ back and if you boys go without me, guess I’ll head off on my own.”

The thought of Ted trying to make a go of outlaw life on the frontier made Cody’s blood run cold. Ted was in no way cut out for that kind of thing. Not as things were. Could he learn? Yes – but the road was unforgiving and those mistakes he made weren’t the type you could live to learn from. But it wasn’t that consideration that was the driving force behind his thoughts.

“Ted, d’ya know why I tried to talk ya into goin’ home?” He waited for Ted to look up so he could meet the man’s eyes. “It was because of how I feel ‘bout you. This ain’t no good life Teddy and I think yer gonna be in fer some nasty surprises. I wanted ta spare ya that. Wanted ta be able ta warm myself thinkin’ of ya in some nice house, home, safe. I didn’t know ya’d feel this strongly ‘bout it. It weren’t because I didn’t want ya there with me, I just wanted ya ta have a good life.”

Ted bit his lip. “So, you still want me? Even now?”

“I always wanted you, I never stopped wantin’ that.” Cody’s voice was soft, but there was a slight smile playing on his lips. “Y’don’t know how I spent last night mournin’ over you bein’ gone. Why me and Evan were draggin’ behind so’s he could try ta cheer me up some and how it didn’t work. I need ya to think this through real careful baby, but if y’mind stays made up, then I’m gonna be doin’ all I can ta look out fer ya. And y’think fer a moment that I’m lettin’ ya head out without me, yer wrong. If this is really what yer want, then I ain’t lettin’ ya go.”

Ted’s smile bloomed into one of sheer relief. “Oh god Cody, I was scared you’d say you didn’t want me to go with you—“

Cody chuckled a little. “Ted, I never say things I don’t mean.” He drew the other closer to him, their lips brushing slightly in something that wasn’t quite a kiss. “I told ya I loved ya and I meant that too,” he murmured. “An’ I’m selfish enough ta be glad that now, I don’t hafta say goodbye to ya.”

Ted made some needy sound and a moment later they really were kissing, tongues twining together in a fashion that managed to be both languid and yet urgent. As if they needed one another badly, but had all the time in the world to make that happen. And Cody supposed that now, it was true.

~:~

John figured that Chris wouldn’t mind if he borrowed the man’s office to talk to the DiBiase brothers and led them in there, closing the door behind them. The older man looked ready to explode for all he tried to hide it behind a professional facade, while the younger just seemed worried. “How can I help you boys?” he asked and then, although he thought he was beginning to get an insight as to what might have happened, he added, “And where’s Ted?”

“He ran off,” said the younger man and there was no mistaking the upset in his voice.

“Hush Brett,” said the older man, Michael if John remembered what Ted had told him rightly. “It’s important that we find Ted. We’re due to leave Bone Orchard today, without delay and he’s nowhere to be found.”

John leaned against the desk, thinking it over. “Ted came by the jail ta say goodbye ta me earlier,” he said truthfully. “Said somethin’ ‘bout how his father set him up with a marriage?”

Mike frowned. “That’s true, his bride is awaiting his return. So you can see why it’s imperative we find him?”

John nodded. “Not ta interfere with yer family or nothin’, but Ted was real upset when he came by. Said he didn’t wanna go through with it.”

“The circumstances aren’t any of your business Sheriff—“

It was Brett’s turn to hush his brother. “Sheriff Cena, Ted’s been actin’ strange since he was kidnapped. It’s not like him at all to take off like he did – and he just ran away from us. You can understand just how worried we are?”

John sighed, taking off his hat and rubbing the back of his head. “I’ll keep an eye out fer him and if I see him, I’ll have a talk with him. Let him know yer concerns fer him. But can I say somethin’ honestly? He ain’t a child. If he don’t want ta get married then yer parents can’t make him an’ if I do find him and talk ta him, I can’t make him go with ya. And neither can you. I won’t have him dragged outta town against his will, even by his family. He ain’t committed a crime and he’s been kidnapped often enough lately.”

Mike drew himself to his full height. “You’re saying you’d interfere?”

“I’m sayin’ that if Ted don’t wanna go, then I ain’t gonna make him and if he asks fer legal help ta stay, then he ain’t done nothin’ ta forfeit that right.” He sighed. “I suggest that ya both talk ta Ted, if yer find him, but if he don’t wanna go, you gotta accept nothin’ can be done about it.”

“Leave him here? With nothin’?” Brett looked even more upset and John felt sorry for the kid. He’d probably been looking forward to a brotherly adventure and hearing what Ted had been doing. He didn’t expect that Ted would vanish upon hearing the news and the possibility that Ted might not be coming back at all.

“We won’t be leaving him Brett.” Mike stared at John a moment. “We will find him. And he’ll know just what to do for the best when we do.”

“Yeah,” murmured John to himself as the two men let themselves out. “That’s kinda what I’m worried about.” He sighed a little, wondering just how much sway Batista had been on the kid and let himself out after them, heading to the courtroom itself. He needed to be there to deal with this trial. What was left of it at least, Batista had pretty much hung himself the night before. It was the other two he was more concerned about, with Hunter and Shawn. He didn’t think either would show the other much loyalty, but he didn’t expect it to be smooth sailing either. When the men in question hadn’t actually gotten their hands dirty, with Shawn being known and liked in the town and Hunter being as rich and as tricky as he was, he didn’t think it was all going to be smooth sailing either.

He got into the room to find that if anything, it was even busier than the previous day. Word had gotten around. There were people standing at the back and he could see Mickie James looking rather nervous on one of the back seats, ready to give evidence no doubt although it was Alex’s word that would mean more at Batista’s trial. Mickie would have to tell the people gathered a lot about Hunter trying to get to her farm though and John wondered if that might present another problem. If Hunter could paint her as paranoid and slightly crazy then he might have a chance of getting off. And there were things working in favour of that; people mistrusted a woman who was unmarried, worked her own farm and preferred not to wear a dress. And Hunter would doubtless say he had no need for her farm, there was no reason for him wanting it – if only John could work out the why then he might have a stronger case. But he could wait for that, Hunter’s trial wasn’t first and who knew? Maybe the man would give himself away.

His eyes scanned to the front row and he had to hide a rather telling smirk as he saw Randy sitting on one of the benches closest to the front. Chris was with him but strangely, there was no sign of Evan. Perhaps less strangely, there was no sign of Cody either. John frowned, wishing he had the time to find out what was happening there. He knew just what had gotten into Ted but it had come on suddenly. Was he even in town anymore or had Cody spirited him away? And if he was, then where was he hiding?

At that moment Evan came in through the doors at the back and John noticed that the young man seemed even more energetic than usual, and Evan always looked ready to burst into a sprint or start bouncing on the spot. He hurried over to his lover and friend and slid into the seat beside Chris, Randy leaning over to listen as he began excitedly whispering something. John thought he caught Ted’s name on the man’s lips but he couldn’t be sure, although he wouldn’t be surprised. Frowning a little as he turned his attention back to the matter at hand, he wondered if Ted was really ready for how determined his brothers were to get him home and if he had considered just how much information the right amount of money could buy. Their presence in town blew Ted’s cover sky-high, something neither man had seemed to realise.

~:~

Michael was all but grinding his teeth by the time he and Brett made their way back to the saloon. All of the townsfolk seemed to be heading in the opposite direction of them, towards where they had just come from: the courthouse. Of course, being out-of-towners they had no idea what had been going on in Bone Orchard before their arrival and supposed that it was the most exciting thing they’d do all year.

“Who does that damn sheriff think he is?” Mike growled his cheeks flushed a blotchy red with rage. Although it might just seem like Mike was angry and that was all there was to it Brett knew that wasn’t true; Mike was genuinely concerned for Ted’s well-being and he was also probably a little hurt that the other had skipped out on them and had essentially said he was running away from the family. God only knew Brett was still feeling that announcement.

“I don’t understand what’s wrong with him!” Ted had never been like this before and it was disconcerting indeed. Maybe his kidnapping and injury at the hands of those outlaws had affected their brother’s mind more than any of them had supposed. A hollow feeling of nausea welled in his stomach as he considered the possibility that their brother might end up getting himself locked in a local asylum back home for his erratic behaviour. Maybe it would help him though.

Meanwhile, unaware of his brother’s line of thought, Brett was chewing on his lip in consideration. There had to be something in Bone Orchard that Ted wanted to remain for otherwise he wouldn’t just suddenly decide he didn’t want to see his home or his family anymore. And the fact that he hadn’t told them meant that there was every chance that the mysterious something was scandalous. Even as he was thinking that though Brett couldn’t see it; their Ted had always been someone who refused to have anything to do with such situations, keeping his head down and himself to himself.

“You don’t think he’s met a woman here, do you?” Brett asked suddenly, thinking for a moment that Mike hadn’t heard him before the other still seemed to be making a beeline towards the saloon. The other stopped, foot levitating off of the floor he had paused so swiftly, and then he turned around to face his baby brother. He had never considered the chance but given Ted’s behaviour there had to be some motivation… and it would explain why he seemed even unhappy about the prospect of marriage than ever before.

“I don’t know… I wouldn’t think so, but then,” he snorted out a huff, clearly unimpressed still, “What do we know about Ted recently?” oh, their father was going to freak out about this. It was several days’ worth of a journey that they had ahead of them so they couldn’t keep waiting for Ted forever, but if they left and went home without him then all hell would break loose. Chances were their father would come, and then Ted would be in big trouble… that was if he even stayed in the area by the time they returned. Mike started walking again and Brett hastened to catch up.

“We’ll check the stable, maybe if we wait there he’ll turn up,” Mike said. Their coach was still in place but the horses were not there, neither was the driver, and Mike sighed irritably as he figured the man would have gone for some refreshment whilst the horses rested. Not that they could blame him he supposed; they were behind schedule and were going to continue to be so unless Ted stopped this madness and returned back to them. Michael knew that they wouldn’t be able to stay a whole day, at best they could only wait until lunchtime if they still intended to reach the closest town on their way back before dark. Brett jumped slightly as Mike levelled an impatient kick at an old rain-collecting barrel that stood off to the side in the stable, the horses turning their heads and seeming to look haughtily at Mike. Brett found himself wanting to apologise to them.

Watching as his brother dropped himself down onto a nearby crate, Brett leant against the wall. Looking out to the town he sighed gently, eyes sad. He just wished that Ted would come back. He didn’t know why the other was so upset but they could make everything better if he would just come back and talk to him. It’d be for his own good, all of this, it would. It would give him something else to care about in life other than his work on the mine.

They had no idea how long they sat there, waiting, but before too long the excited chattering of the townspeople seemed to vanish and Brett supposed that they had all reached the courthouse by then. “Maybe we should just head back inside,” Brett suggested a little timidly given Mike’s mood, mopping at his brow with a handkerchief that was neatly inscribed with his initials. They had each been given one upon their birth but Ted was probably the only one who merely had his for sentimental reasons other than using it.

Mike looked at his brother’s flushed face and hazy eyes a little concernedly; it was warm at home but Bone Orchard seemed hotter than that and there wasn’t that much shade at their end of the stable. Helping Brett up he said, “We’ll go inside and wait, that way we’ll see him, come on.” He needed to get the younger a drink to combat the heat.


	41. Chapter Forty: It'd Be For His Own Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial reaches an explosive point when Stephanie leads Hunter into making some truthful admissions- for the main part. Meanwhile, it seems that Cody's plans to leave with Ted are facing yet another potentially catastrophic problem.

Reluctantly when he needed to breathe Cody was forced to pull his mouth back from Ted’s, head tipping back against the back of Chris’ couch as he struggled to get his breathing back under control--- something that was made slightly more difficult to do considering that Ted was currently kissing and nipping at his neck as though he was intending to physically devour him. He doubted Ted would leave any marks behind though. Well, at least not in such obviously visible places. If he had had any doubt about Ted’s determination to go with him and Randy the sheer elation in the kisses would have dispelled it.

“We… need to figure out… how we’re gonna git yer horse, Teddy—“ he started, thinking that although they probably should have made their presences known at the courthouse that there was more important things to consider. The sooner they got out of Bone Orchard the better in the sense that Ted’s brothers wouldn’t be able to try and take Ted back home. Ted made a non-committal sound, clearly focused on his task for the moment and Cody reluctantly pushed him back.

The pout Ted levelled at him was so damn cute and Cody did sincerely wish that they had the time to have a celebration of the fact that their relationship was not being destroyed the way that they had been expecting it would, but that would have to come later. “Focus, baby,” he chided gently, pecking Ted’s lips as he straightened up somewhat from where they had both ended up semi-reclining on Chris’ couch, “Yeh’re gonna need ya horse, an’ if those brothers o’ yours are lingerin’ around then we need some way t’distract ‘em enough t’git yer horse an’ your things so we can get outta here.”

“So you don’t reckon Randy’s gonna have a problem with me comin’ with you?” Ted asked. He had gotten to know Randy better on some level but on others he was still a stranger and a man Ted knew not to mess with; if Randy put his foot down about Ted not going then that would leave Cody in an awful position and Ted didn’t want that to happen.

Cody merely smiled at him. “I doubt that he will.” He blushed, “He knows how important ya are t’me, an’ when he finds out that yeh’re serious ‘bout comin’ with us then I imagine he’ll be Ok with it.” Ted knew that there was a lot he was going to have to learn about being an outlaw as opposed to a well-off gentleman but he trusted that Cody would be there to guide him every step of the way, and as he had said: he didn’t need the money or the creature comforts, all he needed was Cody.

“I think he was plannin’ t’stop fer the trial,” Cody started, obviously thinking aloud, his hands twined with Ted’s and looking somewhere past the other’s shoulder, “But maybe in the face of things it might be better if I go an’ fetch ‘im. Maybe I could pick up yer horse quick on t’way back an’ then you an’ Randy can start out an’ I’ll catch up withcha after I get my own horse.”

Ted supposed that that was a pretty solid idea, but he then said, “I know I said I didn’t need a lot but there are some things in the pack I brought with me that I do want.” The photo of his family being predominant, as well as a change of clothes.

Cody suddenly wished that Evan had stayed behind since he was great at the whole climbing-up-buildings-and-getting-inside thing. “I can handle that no problem,” Cody announced after a moment but he didn’t elaborate which gave Ted pause. Before he could question Cody though the other was speaking again. “Ok, so if I go an’ fetch Randy, then we can go an’ getcher stuff, an’ then you two can be on your way an’ I’ll meetcha. We should be getting pretty close to the border by today if we get started now.”

That same suffocating sensation of nauseas anticipation welled within Ted once more but he knew that he didn’t want to change his mind. He knew that he wanted to be with Cody regardless of the circumstances they might be forced to endure because of it. “C’mon,” they headed out of the house and locked up behind them, Cody motioning too Ted, “There’s a small bit there ya can hide behind if ya see someone comin’. Sit tight an’ I’ll be back before ya know it.”

Nodding, Ted grinned softly as Cody stole a quick kiss before he was off running down the street. Once Cody was out of sight though Ted had a sense of foreboding come over him and he felt a shiver run down his spine despite the fact that it was plenty warm enough for such a reaction to not occur. He didn’t think that his brothers were going to be able to realistically do much, but just because they couldn’t did mean that someone else couldn’t, or that something wouldn’t happen which would scupper or disrupt their plans somewhat. Though he was unsure at this stage whether God would even listen to him he sent a silent prayer up anyway: Please bring Cody back to me quickly.

~:~

“He did what?” Randy hissed back with wide eyes as Evan giddily whispered the whole tale across to him, Chris attempting to look as though he wasn’t listening but both knew full-well that he was.

“Ted came back an’ he said t’Cody that he ain’t leavin’ with his brothers to go home!” Evan repeated the crucial point and then looked to Chris, “I let ‘em borrow the house-key t’chat t’one another in private.” Chris pretended to roll his eyes at him and Evan grinned.

Randy didn’t get much chance to respond to this though because the first trial was being called to order by Jerry Lawler who was once again standing in for them. The jury was the same set of men from the day before and Randy would have wondered whether this was bias, but then figured he a) didn’t care and b) it was technically the same case so why should they bring new people into the proceedings? John returned back into the room with a calm, almost bored looking Batista.

The man climbed into the dock and looked out at the sea of faces before him. Jerry banged his gavel lightly to silence the mutters that broke out upon the appearance of the man and then he looked to where Mike Mizanin was sitting at the prosecution table, John standing just off to the side of it. “I think yeh’re the one takin’ this’n aren’cha sheriff?” John nodded slowly; it wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to go through with this whole thing because these men deserved to be punished for what they had done, but he hadn’t had to lead in a trial before.

“Batista,” John started, moving towards the man and Dave merely inclined his head a fraction to show he was listening, though he still sat there with the chair cocked back on its hind legs a little with his large arms crossed over his chest. John was really glad that he hadn’t had the chance to do more damage to Chris, or get his hands on Miss Mickie personally; this whole situation would have changed completely if he had. “Ya said that Mr Hunter Helmsley paid ya for services in the forms of attackin’ Mayor Chris Jericho, an’ damagin’ Miss James’ farm.”

“S’right,” Batista nodded, “We knew one another from school an’ he sent me a message saying he had some issues he needed help takin’ care of.” He shrugged somewhat and then said, “So I came down. He tol’ me the mayor was gettin’ in the way of some business ventures he was tryin’ t’make---“

John nodded slowly, “An’ these ventures involved?” he prompted.

The bigger man shrugged, “Don’ know. All I know is he said he wanted t’lady offa that land by any means necessary. He said if I got Chris outta the way fer ‘im then gettin’ the lady out would be easy. He said he’d tried peaceful methods but she weren’ listenin’.” That was genuinely all he knew on the matter. Mike decided to interject here to explain why it was imperative, according to Dave, why Hunter wanted Chris out of the way in conjunction to Mickie’s farm.

“When he died the former Mr James,” he started, several people giving soft respectful murmurs; they might not agree with his daughter’s manners or behaviour but they had all well-liked and respected the old farmer, “Left his land to Mayor Jericho in his will. Chris signed a document that entitled Mickie to remain livin’ an’ workin’ on the land fer ‘im.” He reached into his little suitcase and pulled out the document and Mr James’ old will--- he figured that he was going to need them that day. Jerry looked the documents over and nodded, happy they were authentic, handing them back to Mike.

“So, followin’ your line of thought, Batista,” John picked up as Mike moved to the table once more and placed those papers back before selecting another, “Helmsley thought he’d get the land if Chris was outta the way as he was no longer gonna be an obstacle.” Batista nodded and then admitted that he’d been told something by ‘that fella there’ (he’d indicated Mike) which had threw his plans off.

Finding the right document Mike said, “Mayor Jericho had arranged that if anything had happened to him,” Mike was conscious of Alex watching him from the side, his eyes alight with pride and, dare Mike say it? Arousal. Damn it Alex, stop being so damn distracting! Shaking himself just slightly Mike continued, “-then ownership of the farm would be given to Mr Wade Barrett, and the arrangement would continue on as it had been before.”

Once again Jerry looked the documents over before then looking into the assembled crowd of people who had come to witness the trial, locating Wade easily since he sat head and shoulders higher than many people around him. “This true, Wade?” he asked, needing to verify even though he had no reason to doubt the lawyer’s documents; he recognised Chris’ signature there on the page regardless.

Wade nodded, expression sombre, “Yessir, it is.”

John moved on the questioning then to get Batista to describe what had happened the night of the incident at Mickie’s farm. He described everything with such a detail that meshed with what he had been told by Mike and Alex, and what Mickie had said the day before, that he didn’t doubt the man had done it. It was shocking how forthcoming he was with information, but then he recalled what the man had said earlier, the tale about the man who had lost everything and no longer had no reason to care... if he didn’t know better he’d have thought that Batista was fine with the prospect of swinging from the noose so long as someone came with him.

Once they had completely gotten his turn of events Alex escorted the man back to the holding cells and the court took a five minute break so that Shawn could be readied for his questioning. Suddenly feeling bone-weary from some of the things Batista had said, John looked out into the sea of people. Locking eyes with Randy he felt a small bloom of energy, especially when the outlaw slipped him an almost imperceptible wink and licked his lips. Cheeky tart, John thought before then turning his attention back to Shawn and the trial. Since John had his back to the door he missed when Cody slipped through it, making his way towards Randy, Evan and Chris. He handed a startled Chris his house key back with a nod of thanks before slipping in beside Randy. Once again the eldest outlaw found excited whispering being unleashed into his ears. Man, everybody was gettin’ goin’ that day.

“Randy,” Cody whispered, hoping that no one could hear his low tones but too damned excited to worry too much if they did. “Me an’ Ted need ta get outta Bone Orchard, today. Or Ted does at least. We need ta get Ted’s things from his room and his horse outta the stable at Wade’s place. I was thinkin’ that you could come with me, we’ll get Venom and Penny—“ Randy gave a smirk at the disparity in the names of their rides. “—And go pick Ted up. You take him outta here and I’ll go back fer our stuff and his and ride on out after ya both. Meet ya further down the road tonight.”

“Nice plan, except ya haven’t really thought it through Codes.” Randy’s voice was quiet too, his eyes drifting over to where John was still questioning Batista about the night of the fire, about why he had gone to Hunter’s and about his arrest. “Ted’s brothers’ll either be in the stable waitin’ fer him ta get his horse, or else they’ll be in the bar. And whose ta say they haven’t taken Ted’s stuff already?”

“I know they haven’t, ‘cause only Wade’s allowed ta give out the keys and he’s in here,” retorted Cody. “When they take a break, there’ll probably be a message fer him ‘bout it, but that ain’t gonna be fer a while.”

“And how’re you gonna get in?”

“Same way Evvie here does.” Cody grinned widely. “Or did, before he went respectable.”

Evan and Randy both looked unconvinced. “Why didn’t ya just get the key offa him?” asked Evan.

Cody paused, then flushed. “Well, uh, that’d be kinda obvious.”

“Not if they ain’t there, ya dope.” Randy shook his head slightly. “They’re more likely ta be waitin’ with the horse, ya thought ‘bout that any?”

“It’s a warm day,” Cody shot back. “They hafta leave fer a drink at sometime.”

“One of ‘em does. And there’s another thing.” Randy’s eyes went to John again. “Maybe I got some goodbyes of my own ta make.”

Cody hesitated, looking uncertain for the first time – he had forgotten that Randy had his own issues, so caught up in his own was he. “But Randy,” he said uncertainly. “Ted’s brothers are tryin’ ta drag him back and I need ta get him outta Bone Orchard in a hurry. I need your help.”

“Ya need someone’s help, but it don’t have ta be Randy’s fer the whole of it.” Evan gave Chris a slightly apologetic look. “The three of us’ve always managed ta get outta town with the prize before. This time don’t have ta be no different. I’ll help ya.”

Cody beamed at his friend, while Evan turned to look at Chris. “I might hafta be layin’ low a while, but I’ll be back in town before ya know I’m gone. By nightfall at least.”

“You’d just better be,” Chris warned.

“Hey, I can’t leave ya alone, who knows what trouble ya’ll get into?” Evan wished he could get a good-luck kiss of his lover but that would really scandalise the courtroom. “We’re gonna need you too Randy but I’m sure we can have ya back here before the trial ends.”

Randy nodded and Cody almost clapped his hands in delight – his friends were going to help him and he was sure that between them, they could really do this. He settled for a smile, looking over at Chris. “See you sometime Mr Mayor. Look after Evvie fer me, or I’ll be back before ya know it and ready ta kick yer ass.”

“He’s in safe hands,” replied Chris with a straight face. “Good luck.”

The three outlaws got up and made their way out, to a few dirty looks – no one had been paying attention to the whispers but it was harder to ignore them when they were fighting their way from the packed courtroom. John saw them going and a slight frown flittered over his face, but he forced himself not to be distracted – and he trusted that Randy wasn’t about to run out on him. Not without some kind of a goodbye.

He finished presenting his evidence only a minute or two later, it being Batista’s turn to offer some defence. But the big man seemingly had none to give, denied nothing, freely admitted Hunter’s role in the whole thing and dropped Shawn in it too by telling them the man had been right there while their plans were talked over. The jurors were ushered to a side room to decide on a verdict and it took them less than five minutes to come back with one; guilty of attempted murder and arson. Chris had a slight frown on his face as he watched. Theoretically he was in favour of the death penalty but he had never before had to pass it... and fortunately, he didn’t have to this time either. Having excused himself from any part in the process because of how it affected him, the jury had recommended it on their own (and he just bet the Calloway brothers had brought it up first).

Batista didn’t look especially concerned as the sentence was passed. They might as well have been discussing the weather for all the emotion he showed, he merely gave a shrug and allowed himself to be escorted back into the cell in the courthouse. Chris didn’t like that either. He wasn’t sure that the man had much interest in saving his own life but that was hardly the point, there was no one who could be that calm about being put to the rope the next morning. They would have to look out for some plot –and then his mind wandered, wondering just what Evan was up to and sending out a silent prayer that he would return safely.

Hunter was brought to the stand next, to a buzz of interest from the assembled audience that was quietened by Jerry hammering his gavel with a little too much enthusiasm. John could tell that the gunsmith was enjoying the proceedings a great deal, loving the position that he currently had – and he saw no harm in that at all. He transferred his attention to Hunter, seeing how the man gave venomous looks in Chris’ direction... but then he looked over to the crowd and he seemed to soften. Curious, John followed his gaze and saw that all but unnoticed, his wife was sitting in the crowd, a man who was presumably in her employ right beside her to ensure no one got too close or heckled her too much. There was little need; Stephanie had covered her hair with a bonnet and although her clothes were clearly expensive she did not have the same ‘lady of the manor’ air that had been around her only the day before. She was barely recognisable as the same person. Her hands toyed with each other in her lap and she seemed nervous, upset. John couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her, although he wondered just how much she had known about her husband’s dealings.

Jerry looked over at Hunter. “Mr Helmsley, you’re charged with hirin’ a killer and conspirin’ ta commit arson. Do ya understand?”

Hunter nodded, still arrogant in spite of everything and John frowned a little before stepping forward. “We already heard from Mr Batista ‘bout how Mr Helmsley decided he wanted Miss James offa her farm and ta buy it up from her, and how he says Hunter wanted the Mayor outta the way so’s he could buy it offa the town when she wouldn’t sell and Chris wasn’t gonna either. What’s your side of the story Mr Helmsley?”

Hunter went to raise his hands, was stopped by the cuffs and frowned slightly. “None of that is true.”

Jerry banged his gavel again to quell the quiet conversation that had sprung up at the denial. John looked slightly surprised at the denial, although he had expected it. “So, what is the truth?”

Hunter tried for a smile. “Well, I wanted the land, I’m not going to lie about that. But I certainly didn’t want Batista to hurt anyone. When I had no luck persuadin’ Miss James or Mayor Jericho to sell to me, I asked him for help, yes. But I didn’t send for him, he dropped by for a visit. I mentioned my problems and he said he could perhaps help me. Batista has done a lot of travellin’ and he can be rather charmin’ – although I guess it’s hard for you folks to see that in these circumstances. He’s got a way with words and with the ladies, so I thought he’d try to make her see things his way and I was fine with that. I had no idea he had anythin’ to do with the attack on the Mayor until he paid another visit to my house, in the middle of the night this time and with a shotgun wound. I suppose I should have turned him in right then, when I found out the lengths he’d gone to, but—“ He shrugged. “I had no way of leavin’ the house without him knowin’ ‘bout it and puttin’ my wife and children in danger. And I was concerned that I’d get some of the blame fer his actions, us knowin’ each other and all.”

John gave him a look of disbelief. He supposed it couldn’t be disproved, but the sheer magnitude of the misinformation was breathtaking. “So Mr Batista took it on himself ta try ta kill the mayor and burn down a farm with the lady still inside of it, and all as some kinda favour to ya?”

“Well...” Hunter looked uncomfortable but John could see just how calculated it was. “When he came back that night, he mentioned money. Blackmail perhaps, so that I’d pay up to keep our connection a secret, so’s suspicion wouldn’t fall on me. And I might’ve mentioned somethin’ in passin’ – we was talkin’ ‘bout how stubborn Miss James was when he dropped by fer dinner and when he said he could get her outta there, I might’ve said somethin’ like I’d pay him if he could. But it wasn’t like a bargain, it was just like y’know, a joke. A comment.”

John narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like how plausible it all sounded because he knew it was entirely bullshit. “Anyone else ya might’ve made a ‘joke’ or a ‘comment’ to?”

“I asked a couple people ta try ta talk her ‘round, but I ain’t never said it was okay ta use threats or force,” said Hunter firmly. John’s concern deepened. That was actually true, but he had certainly hinted at it when he had offered John money to do his dirty work. He wished that Mizanin was in charge here, that guy might know the right questions to ask, unlike John who was just feeling around in the dark and hoping to be able to outsmart Hunter somehow. It wasn’t looking too likely. And in the back of his mind, he was wondering where Randy, Cody and Evan had taken off to. They hadn’t gone from town he was certain, Evan was supposed to be staying even if the others weren’t and Chris wouldn’t have just sat and watched while Evan walked out of his life... but he still worried.

“Ya said ya wanted the land,” said John. “Why?”

From his seat, Mike managed to tear his attention away from the nearby deputy while Hunter answered the question. It was the one thing about the whole business that had really annoyed him. Why that farm, that land? There were plenty of other places a man as rich as Hunter could have bought up, cheaper, larger, with far less aggravation. What was it about the James farm that was so important to him? It wasn’t as if he was about to start a dairy farm, all his money was from his father in law and had been made in oil wells.

Hunter gave what Mike assumed was supposed to be a disarming smile, but he wasn’t entirely convincing, not as arrogant as he was. “My wife and I have three children. Sure, they’re just babies now but soon enough they’ll be grown. I wanted to start building a house for the eldest. It’s a life plan of mine – build them all houses near ours. I’m gonna buy up some land over the next coupla years for the others as well.”

“It’s an awful long time before yer kids’ll be old enough ta live alone,” John said.

“It’s gonna be an awful big house Sheriff,” retorted Hunter. “Only the best I can get and I’m sure anyone else’d be the same.” That same smile again. “I kinda had my heart set on the farm. When I heard there was a lady alone there, I thought she’d be real anxious ta sell up and live the easy life and so I made a whole lotta plans without knowin’ the circumstances. When she told me I couldn’t buy her out, I was kinda mad. That’s why I kept askin’ over and over, tryin’ to get her to change her mind. I had so many plans and it wouldn’t be the same if I were to build somewhere else. And honestly, a lady in charge of a farm? It’s not really work for a woman.”

John didn’t dispute the fact, probably because he knew damned well that most of the jury would agree with the comment. Mike narrowed his eyes. Oh yes, very smart. Act like he was doing Mickie a favour she was too dull-witted to realise, as if he was doing it all for his children’s futures. And that he’d had things go out of his control. The trouble was that although he wasn’t very likeable, he certainly was appealing to the jury. Most wanted to do well by their children and most imagined that their wives would never do the kind of hard labour that working on a farm alone entailed. They might well buy such a story.

Slightly disheartened, Mike leaned back on the bench and tried to listen as John asked Mickie to stand and tell what had happened on each of Hunter’s visits. The woman was appealing and attractive but everyone in town knew she was also eccentric and she was nowhere near as practiced in what she was saying as Hunter was. More than that, she had nothing to say that disproved what Hunter had said, only that he had been out to the farm and made her feel threatened without dispensing any actual threats. The insinuations she repeated might have been comments and Hunter had already documented his own irritation. And the seed of doubt had been planted; was it right for her to be running a farm when she could be doing something else instead?

Mike shook his head slightly and stared at the floor. He hadn’t been in court much, but he knew enough to tell which way a case was heading and he didn’t much like the outcome of this one. Nothing could be proven and John hadn’t managed to catch Hunter out in a lie. He thought that the man would probably get off and that might just leave Mickie under further pressure to sell up, from those who previously hadn’t cared one way or the other who ran the farm. Although why anyone would want to work on a farm, he didn’t know. He’d wrecked his damn shoes just walking through the place, he was wearing an old pair that were slightly worn and had been something of an embarrassment in the courtroom the day before, although fortunately no one seemed to have judged him on that...

The pieces suddenly came together in his head and he widened his eyes, sitting bolt upright. He saw Alex give him a concerned look and felt a slight smugness at the attention even as he went over his logic, looking for flaws. He didn’t see any. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position to jump up and announce that he’d seen something in Helmsley’s argument that no one else had done.

Mickie finished giving her evidence and sat down again, looking grim. Clearly she’d seen the same problems in the case as Mike had been doing. Jerry glanced over at John. “Anyone else to give evidence?”

John looked uncertain, glancing at the assembled crowd and spying Mike, indicating quite urgently that they had to speak. John paused. “I got some more questions,” he said slowly.

“Then we’re takin’ a fifteen minute break,” said Jerry, banging his gavel. There was a slight shuffling as people stretched, started chatting in low voices and Jerry stood to get himself a glass of water. Mike stood and hurried to the front, summoning John over in a low voice. “Can we have a few words Sheriff?”

Now John looked really confused. “I guess so. Let me see if Chris’ll let us use his office and Alex can keep an eye on Hunter.”

Chris gave his agreement absently – anything to see Hunter locked away, which was looking less and less likely. He’d known the man would be trouble but he’d held out some hope that Batista’s evidence would be enough to put him away. It looked like he might just be wrong on that score and then he’d never be able to get a moments peace, wondering what else the man was up to. It rankled.

A few people asked him questions about what he thought of Hunter’s innocence or guilt, which Chris gave politicians answers to. He noticed a young teenager slip into the room with a note, looking around and seeing Jim Ross before making a beeline to him. Chris frowned, practically the whole town had turned out for the trial so there had to be someone who wasn’t there injured – he just hoped it wasn’t serious. He continued to make small talk to those who chatted to him, all the time wondering about Evan and noticing when Jim came back into the room only a few minutes later. It relaxed him a little; it couldn’t have been anything serious. That would have been all they needed right then.

He would have been a whole lot less relaxed had he realised that Jim had been summoned by Michael and Brett DiBiase, who had told him of their missing brother and their worries that a recent head injury was causing him to act erratically. Jim had listened to their stories and sympathised; his failing eyesight meaning that he didn’t notice the similarities between the two of them and another young man he’d seen quite a bit of recently. The forename might have tipped him off, but his mind was still half on the trial inside, he didn’t want to miss the next part. And he’d never heard of Theodore DiBiase. He didn’t connect the man in the stories to Ted Smith at all and was quick to write a paper with the stationary that the DiBiase brothers had thoughtfully provided, claiming there was enough evidence in his opinion for Theodore to be taken into the custody of his family for examination by a doctor, with or without his consent. The brothers made it sound as if Theodore had passed through on his way elsewhere and even if the name had sounded about right, he had seen Ted Smith only that morning, looking oddly gloomy. Jim went back into the courthouse anticipating the verdict and not giving the committal order he’d just signed another thought.

He was back before John was, the sheriff walking back into the room with Mike Mizanin at his side and looking rather more uplifted than he had done earlier. Mike went back to his seat, having to squeeze slightly since the room had been taken by others spreading out, while John waited patiently for Jerry to start proceedings again. Personally, he suspected that the break had been so that Jerry could use the outhouse, the man had been looking slightly uncomfortable in the last half-hour or so.

Hunter had stayed where he was, being brought a drink while Alex watched over him and once everything was quiet, John started again. “Hunter. Where didja meet yer wife?”

Hunter looked confused and slightly angry. “Why?”

“I’m curious.”

Hunter glared at him. “I don’t see that it matters. I was workin’ for her father.”

“Mr Vincent McMahon?” Hunter nodded and John continued. “He’s made alla his money in oil wells, right? So you know a thing or two ‘bout those.”

Hunter suddenly looked wary. “I was just workin’ the books for the most part.”

“But I’m sure a man of your smarts’d pick stuff up along the way.” John took a breath, wondering if Mike was dead wrong about his theory. “Like some of the signs that there’s oil in the area. You settle in Bone Orchard fer any particular reason?”

“Because it’s a quiet place to raise our children!”

“Hmm. See, I just heard that there might be another reason a man in your position might wanna buy up Miss James’ land. Like that there’s oil underneath it.”

The courtroom exploded into excited talk. The initial shock led almost immediately to speculation that Mickie wasn’t the only one potentially sitting on millions – oil reserves tended to take up a lot of space. John glanced over at Mickie and saw her wide-eyed and covering her mouth with her hand, almost seeming ready to be sick. He supposed that to discover the land one owned was worth maybe a hundred times or more what she had thought would be a shock to anyone and he wished he’d had the chance to tell her first.

“Order!” Jerry bellowed, banging the gavel. “Shuddup! Or I’m gonna clear everyone out!”

There was silence – no one wanted to be thrown out now. Before it had been gossip, now it was potentially money.

Mickie wasn’t the only one looking sick; Hunter didn’t appear to be all that well himself. “I never went to the land ‘til I offered ta buy it. How could I a’ known that?”

“You know what to look for,” said John smoothly. “Or maybe you was tipped off. So you and yer wife built a home here, knowin’ that if y’could buy up enough of the land then yer’d be stayin’ ta work the oil well. And if y’were local, then no one’d think it was strange you buyin’ places up. Fer a small fraction of what they’re really worth and with no havin’ ta worry ‘bout ownership and the like. And if ya had the mayor in yer pocket too, then so much the better, even less problems. Only Chris didn’t cooperate and so Shawn ended up tryin’ ta take his place—“

“There ain’t no oil on that land!” Hunter rose, fists clenched, the chain between the cuffs clanking. Alex stepped forward coolly, one hand on his gun, ready to deal with it if Hunter decided to pull any crap. It was probably as well that his full attention was on the prisoner, because if he’d seen the wide-eyed and lustful look Mike was giving him at that moment, then he would have had his mind wiped of anything else and Hunter could have torn past him in a dress without him noticing.

“Hunter!”

Heads turned as Stephanie stood, her eyes fixed on her husband, seemingly uncaring of who saw her. Her hands twisted together but her back was straight, head raised. It occurred to John that there was a woman with a lot of emotional strength. “It’s over,” she said softly, only able to be heard since no one else was speaking. “I just want this to be over and you to come home. We need you.”

Hunter stared back at her for long moments and then his shoulders slumped a little. “There’s oil.”

Jerry banged his gavel warningly as the noise level rose a moment and indicated for Hunter to continue.

“We knew there was something ‘round here and it’s concentrated around the James farm. We decided to fit in and then buy up the farm so it’d cost less and we wouldn’t have to pay the price of an oil well, only the price of the farm. Yeah, I wanted the land bad, I wanted Miss James to leave. But I swear, I didn’t ask Batista to harm Miss James. I didn’t threaten her, I didn’t try to have her killed. Her or Chris. Things got out of my control and I’m sorry ‘bout that. But I never meant her harm. I could have waited ‘til she was ready to sell or if I was really that ruthless, then I could’ve sabotaged her at some point. But I never did and that’s because I never wished her any harm, even if I did want that land.”

Chris was stunned, shaking his head in disgusted admiration. That had been a masterful piece of theatre. Confronted with the truth Hunter had admitted his reasoning without actually admitting to his role in anything. He was maintaining that he had done nothing to be imprisoned or hung for –and done so very convincingly. The distraught wife had been a brilliant touch and he wondered if she’d been planning it alone or if they’d come up with some plan together as a back-up. He suspected the former. Hunter never thought he’d be caught, he was sure, and Stephanie was smarter and more ruthless than people gave her credit for. By the frustrated look on John’s face, he’d realised the same thing.

It occurred to Chris that this news meant that technically, he was a very, very rich man. He wondered what Evan would have to say about it.

~:~

“So,” Randy looked to the two younger men, “I don’ know about you two, but I don’ actually know what the DiBiase brothers look like.” Evan’s brow furrowed; come to think of it he didn’t think he’d actually seen them either.

Cody sighed and said, “I’ve seen ‘em, I know what they look like.” He gave a somewhat wan smile and conceded, “The youngest’ll probably be the easiest t’recognise though.”

The eldest of the trio cocked his head as they swiftly but casually made their way towards Wade’s saloon, “An’ why’s that?” surely if they were brothers the resemblance’d be the same all around.

“’Cause the youngest, Brett, I think Ted said his name was, is the spit of Teddy take off a few years and some build.”

Evan chuckled slightly and playfully wagged his brows at Cody as he then teased, “Maybe thinkin’ at first that you were gonna get two, Codes?”

His friend swatted at him lightly but chuckled; though this was no bank heist they were pulling off, but the sheer planning and effort that was going to be needed was enough to begin stoking the previously low-burning flame of Cody’s adrenaline. “Focus, ya perv. Save yer kinkiness fer yer old-boy-toy.” This time Evan was the one swatting at his friend.

Though Randy cracked a slight smile it was apparent that his attention was still focused on the trial… or more specifically the man who was conducting the trial. They had no idea what was going on at that moment and Randy didn’t really want to miss too much. “It might be a good idea if we cover our faces some more,” he said, lowering his hat and Evan and Cody nodded, though Evan was the only one who covered his face using his bandana. They had decided that Cody would nip indoors to see if the brothers were about before Evan went up the pipe to the room.

Randy was going to just check the stable area, but if it was safe then he was going to take Penny and go straight for the stables, Evan with him. He’d then get Venom and Evan would ride out on Penny to the Mayor’s house where Ted was waiting. They’d then ride out somewhat, enough, for Evan to be able to walk back with, Cody following through as soon as he was able. He was the fastest of the three when it came to running so he could try and draw the brothers away with a distraction or something. At least, that had been the plan, but when they had hit the street to Wade’s place the three men found themselves heading to a nearby shop and looking into the window as unobtrusively as possible.

The two men –and Cody had been right when he’d said the youngest would be easier to recognise- were standing outside the saloon, a carriage parked somewhat further down from them sans horses and driver. Fuck, what if he was back there with the horses? If the brothers saw them taking Ted’s horse then all hell would break loose--- and they could really do with making through this situation without drawing too much attention to themselves. They sidled closer, but the two didn’t seem to notice the three, too involved in their conversation.

“But Mike—“the small was saying. Brett, Evan surmised in his head. “Ted’s gonna go crazy on us when he finds out we’ve done this!” he was pointing at an envelope that Mike had in his hand.

Mike frowned, expression torn between anger and some sad acceptance, “After all this I ain’t so sure he ain’t already gone crazy on us. The sooner we can get him home we can get him the help he needs—“ Cody’s eyes widened somewhat at that; what help? Ted crazy? The fuck?

Randy and Evan also seemed wary now and the three outlaws paused, continuing to listen as Brett and Mike argued, “But is an asylum—“Brett’s voice lowered, the word essentially being taboo, “—the right thing to do? You hear all sorts about those places! I don’t want anything to happen to Ted that might just make him worse! It could just be shock and we could be getting wound up over nothing—“it was apparent though that the younger wasn’t sure of his final sentiment even if he had been the first.

The eldest though was having none of it. He brandished the envelope and said, “Dr Ross said that it sounds like Ted’s having a bad reaction to the trauma of his kidnapping, and the safest thing for his well-being is to come home with us, and to be with his family. So that is what we’re going to do!” the younger hung his head, seemingly unable to think of anything to combat the doctor’s words. Evan gasped, stunned; how could Dr Ross sign such a thing?

“But they’ll all be at trial, we can’t interrupt!” they could find themselves in a cell for contempt.

Mike growled and ran a hand through his obviously previously neatly styled hair, the strands sticking up somewhat in scruffier angles with his growing agitation. He seemed to think for a moment before saying, “Then we’ll go to the Mayor’s house and wait. The trial shouldn’t take too long and he’s the man we need to see; once he sees the doctor’s recommendation he’ll have no choice but to give us the right, legally, regardless of what the sheriff might say, to take Ted home.”

As the two started off Cody turned an ashen face to his friends, “We’ve gotta hurry, now.” Randy took off towards the stables of their saloon to fetch their horses, and Cody hastened to go and fetch Penny alongside Evan who shimmied up the drain-pipe with an admirable sense of ease and speed.

Cody’s heart was thundering in his chest as he patted Penny’s neck, hoping she remained calm enough to allow him to ride her. They needed to get to Chris’ place before the brothers and get Ted. Even if he, Ted and Evan continued on and Randy waited behind somewhat to give John his goodbye that was Ok. They had already chosen their resting spot for the night and Cody knew that the other would remember where it was. In all truth though the finer details had been blotted from his mind outside of the one crucial thought that was blaring in his mind over and over again: get Ted. Get Ted. He wasn’t letting those two, Ted’s brothers or not, to take Ted away from him. And that was doubly true if all they intended to do was to throw him in a loony-house.


	42. Chapter Forty-One: An End Of An Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Randy manages to throw the DiBiase brothers onto a false trail so Cody and Ted can get a head-start. Goodbyes are said and tears are shed-- especially in the light of the trial's resolution.

Evan was in Ted’s window quickly and without comment, although that was more likely to be because most people were still involved in the trial. Sitting atop Venom with the reins of Cody’s horse in his hand, Randy kept a sharp eye on the street. He had a nose for trouble that Evan seemed to lack and Cody seemed to ignore and it had never seen him wrong before. He didn’t think there was trouble coming their way but was still glad when only a few moments later, Evan was back out of the window, seeming to defy gravity as he scrambled half-way down and jumped the rest of the way, Ted’s bag on his back. Randy winced, if he’d tried that then he would have broken both ankles but Evan was completely unharmed. Not for the first time, Randy wondered if Evan’s lesser height wasn’t actually an asset to him.

“Think we can beat those two ta the mayors house?” asked Randy.

Cody chewed his lip anxiously. “We can beat ‘em on horseback. But it’s gonna be close and if they recognise Penny or see Ted, then there’s gonna be a world of trouble comin’ our way.”

“Chris ain’t about ta send a posse out after ya.”

“But John might not have the choice,” said Cody pointedly.

“He’s right,” said Evan. “I’ll head ‘em off, make a distraction. Hang outta a window or somethin’.”

“No,” said Randy with all the authority that made him their unofficial leader. “You gotta make a life in this town Ev and I don’t want ya bein’ the next one Ross decides ta have committed. I’ll do it. Take the horses and git ta Ted. I’ll see ya out there Codes.”

The two younger men nodded and cantered off away, leaving Randy to take a more leisurely pace toward where they had last seen Michael and Brett. The men were hurrying but on foot, so that was something to be grateful for, apparently having gotten directions from somewhere as they were going in the right direction. Randy hesitated a moment before he passed them, wondering what kind of a distraction he could make – that had always been Evan’s job and Evan had done it admirably. His job had been to intimidate, not to attract more attention.

There was only one thing he could think of, short of propositioning the pair of them with something dubious and that wouldn’t hold them in place for long. Grimacing at the idiot he was about to make of himself and reminding himself who he was doing it for, he kicked Venom off into a canter of her own and a few paces past the men, he deliberately threw himself backward from the horse. Venom fetched him a nice kick in the ribs on his way to the ground, which was the least of his problems when he actually reached the floor. Not only did he look incompetent and probably graceless, but it hurt more than he had been anticipating. He didn’t have to do much to feign his pain.

“Oh no!” Brett raced over to where he lay, kneeling in the dust and then hovering, afraid to lay a hand on Randy since he had no idea what to do. “Are you hurt?”

Randy let out a groan that he hoped sounded pained. “Ohhh shit...”

Brett looked taken aback at the language and Randy decided that he really did favour Ted a whole lot. Ted had gotten that exact expression on his face in Randy’s presence more than once. He managed to stop himself from saying anything though, since that would have been a dead giveaway. “Can ya move?”

Randy made a few weak attempts, hoping that he wasn’t putting it on too strongly. “Hurts.”

Meanwhile Mike had gone after Venom, who had raced to the end of the street and then seemed to stop when she realised she was riderless. She stood looking back and flicking her tail as if impatient and Randy had to hide his grin – that was his girl, he swore she had almost human emotions. If she had been human then she would have been unapproachable and unattainable, as Mike found out when he tried to get too close. Venom whinnied loudly, taking a few steps back and snapping at him. Mike made another attempt and she reared up onto her back legs, kicking the air with the front ones. Mike took the hint and backed away, going back to Randy.

“I think something spooked your horse,” he said, crouching so that he didn’t get too dirty. “How you doing there?”

“Dammit, that hurt.” Randy made some faces that were supposed to be pain. “Ah hell. Can you boys help me up, help me get my horse?”

Mike and Brett exchanged looks that Randy could read easily – they didn’t want to spend the time doing so, but to leave an injured man in the road would be wrong. Brett took Randy’s left hand, Mike his right and they helped him up, Randy making sure to make it as hard as possible. He hunched his shoulders and curled his back, trying to make himself look shorter since he didn’t need them to put together what they knew about their brothers kidnappers with him, but he thought they had bought it. It probably didn’t hurt that he looked slightly pathetic.

“Dammit, she kicked me,” he said in a higher than usual voice. “Am I bleedin’?” he raised his shirt so that the younger men could get a closer look – and he wasn’t unaware of the reaction his bare torso had on people. Any distraction would do.

Brett looked embarrassed but Mike just gave him a stoic glance. “No, it’s not bleeding but it’s going to bruise. Sir, we really are in a hurry so if you can stand alone—“

Randy kept leaning heavily on Brett while at the same time letting his shirt drop. “It ain’t no problem, I’m gonna be just fine. But I need ta get my horse.” Had he given Cody and Evan enough of a headstart? He didn’t know. A few more minutes would be beneficial.

Mike didn’t look at all pleased about going anywhere near Venom. “I don’t think that’s going to be easy and we don’t have the time for some drawn-out chase.”

“Just a moment, I promise. She’s usually pretty placid.” Randy managed to keep a straight face at the outrageous lie in the same way he was pretending not to see the irritation in Mike’s face. It was too bad; he was willing to have Ted declared mentally incompetent just to get him home to his unmet bride then Randy had no sympathy at all. “Here Venny!”

Venom looked at him with an almost contemptuous expression that would have usually had Randy laughing and made no move to come to him. Randy took a few steps toward her, urging Brett to walk with him, using him as a crutch. “There’s a good girl! Hey, either o’ you boys got a carrot?”

Mike almost growled, then seemed to change his mind. “Sir, we’re looking for our brother, have you seen him? He looks a little like Brett here, only a little older.”

Randy made a show of staring at Brett, eating up a few more seconds. “Sure, I saw him.” He paused a few more beats. “Couple nights ago, drinkin’ in the saloon.”

“Ted was in a saloon drinking?” Brett sounded horrified. “With outlaws and women of ill repute?”

Oh, how Randy longed to spin a tale of just what Ted had really been doing. But that would do him no good at all and here was a golden opportunity. “He weren’t with no woman. But maybe he’s the one Miss Layla’s been moonin’ over.”

Mike’s eyebrows rose. “Miss Layla?”

“Don’t know too much ‘bout it,” said Randy with almost wild cheer. “Only that she gone lost her cherry ta some out-of-towner and she was expectin’ him ta make an honest woman outta her.”

The brothers exchanged glances, minds going back to what Brett had said about Ted meeting and falling in love with a woman. “And uh, do you know where Miss Layla lives?” asked Brett with casualness so fake that Randy almost laughed again.

“If ya go past the Birchill saloon up ahead and then go left, foller the road all the way down and go onta Fifth Street, I hear she got a place there.”

“Mike.” Brett sounded almost hopeful. “Y’think it might be him, he might’ve gone there?”

“It’d explain a lot,” replied Mike. “And the mayor’ll be a long time yet. We can at least see if we can find the house. Thanks sir, you might’ve given us a place ta look.”

“Hope ya find him!” Randy went up to Venom and she held still for him while he got back in the saddle – she might be unfriendly but she wasn’t stupid and she never acted up for Randy. He patted her neck and held up a hand as the two brothers made their way in the direction he’d told them. And from what he remembered, it actually was Layla’s house. Only Ted was never going to be found there.

“Good luck boys,” he murmured to himself, walking Venom back to the stables at Wade’s place and borrowing the empty one where Penny had been until that day – right next to a magnificent grey that he knew was Hustle, John’s horse. If he had to say goodbye to John then he should probably take him back to this saloon rather than his own and leave right away. He didn’t have the time to waste once he was done with his farewells.

~:~

It seemed that Hunter was going to walk free. He’d be free of the noose and it seemed Dave Batista would be the only one swinging from a gibbet. Sadly, from what they could tell, Shawn seemed to have the least to do in active participation of the whole endeavour. Obviously they couldn’t bring Shawn’s blackmail of him to the court, considering it involved a subject matter that would get him, Randy and Shawn lynched, but John wasn’t sure if he could bring up the matter of Hunter propositioning him to the court. It would be his word against Hunter’s, but it might help sway favour to the truth… suddenly he was beginning to think having Shawn’s trial first would have been the best.

It was only after some more deliberation Jerry saw fit to send the jury off and John resisted the urge to pound his fist on the table in fury; this was such a perversion of justice that he could feel hot bile trying to work its way up his throat, choking him. He prayed that the jury wouldn’t completely buy into the well-fabricated lies… though something told him Shawn was ready to roll over when they got him on the stand and the jury were going to feel pretty damn stupid that they had let him walk away scot-free. Well, as long as he got something in the way of punishment that was better than a total acquittal he supposed.

In the end the verdict was delivered that Hunter had to pay substantial compensation to both Chris and Mickie (John had a small thought that they must have brought a little to do with the damage to Mickie’s farm at least even if they didn’t believe the rest of it) as well as refrain from coming anywhere near Mickie’s land in future. And this included all in Hunter’s employ, temporary or long-term, and all of his family members. 

If this order was breached then they would definitely be facing jail-time. Hunter didn’t look impressed but John knew that the man should be thanking every deity he knew that he had managed to escape with his life. He shook his head somewhat in unhappiness as Hunter was led away once more.

Stephanie’s face broke out into a smile as she knew her husband’s neck was no longer under threat, inclining her head somewhat to Jerry and the jury she then made a quick exit--- something that in John’s mind looked incredibly suspicious whether she figured that it had or not. Everyone would probably just assume that she was rushing home to get to her children or something. John wondered when he had started to become so suspicious and jaded, or whether it was just something that had happened since he had come to Bone Orchard and scum had ruined Chris’ otherwise lovely town.

At least Mickie was now doubly protected in legal terms from Hunter trying anything in future, and if the man did attempt anything again he’d need to be even more careful considering this would all act against him.

Chris was currently making his way to the front to talk to Jerry. John had a feeling that he wasn’t going to be happy about this turn of events either, because although Dave had attempted to kill him it hadn’t been something he had had the true motive to do so. Or maybe he was just reading everything all wrong because he was so mad Hunter was free.

Looking to Mike he caught the young lawyer’s eye and saw that he looked as unhappy as John, the elder man giving a weak shrug in response and Mike’s hand tightened around his briefcase somewhat in obvious displeasure that there was little more they could do. Had it not been for Hunter having a wife and small children he felt that everyone would have been much less sympathetic towards him. He could see that Alex was looking at him and there was a lot of effort used on his part to not go over to Alex and get the hug that he felt he so sorely needed. Sure he wasn’t leading the prosecution this time around but he felt as though he had failed someone regardless. Still, a punishment was better than no punishment and they still had one more to take as much as Wade, but since Hunter had come into the picture he’d merely thrown it all back into his face for the sake of sparkly trinkets and someone of greater power than himself. It was almost sad in its way. Absently he supposed that maybe it was good that Randy had gone out for a while because all it would take is one wrong look from Shawn for the man to end up putting himself behind bars for attempted murder--- but this time with cause. John didn’t look too thrilled about the prospect of facing Shawn either but that was understandable in the circumstances after everything.

Jerry seemed a little uncomfortable too, but given that this man was previously in charge of protecting their town, and now he was being implicated in an attempted murder plot against their mayor that was substantial grounds to make the crowd antsy. Whacking his gavel a few times to bring silence Jerry then looked down as Shawn who was sitting wearily in the prosecutions dock. “Y’are bein’ charged with aidin’ an’ abettin’ a murder charge against our mayor, an’ for knowin’ about a plot against Miss James…. D’ya understand sher—Mr Michaels?” Jerry had to ask out of formality and caught himself on the old slip; something Shawn actually seemed to wince at upon hearing.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly, avoiding the eyes of his wife Rebecca from where she was sat near the front. She looked so hurt, so terrified and disappointed and Shawn genuinely felt bad upon seeing it. He hadn’t ever intended for her to find out, and he had been intending for them to move to a larger home with the money that he was supposed to have received from Hunter for all the information he had been giving him and everything. That wasn’t going to be happening now, that much was obvious.

“Yeah, I know,” Shawn said dolefully. He wondered whether he’d be able to have Rebecca removed from court. Since she was currently due to her full-term with their second child Shawn wasn’t sure that witnessing all of this was going to be good for her. However, he knew she wouldn’t go, and he was also not exactly someone who could make such demands at the moment.

Sighing, John moved closer to the prosecution stand so that he could address Shawn. “Michaels,” he said, not giving the man the courtesy of any title, though no one seemed surprised by this, “We’ve been told that you were aware of Helmsley’s intentions to use force to gain Miss James’ land, is this true?”

It seemed so redundant to ask those words now considering that they had barely gotten any truth out of Hunter and he had been calm and composed throughout most of the trial. Shawn sincerely looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there and John wondered if he would just come clean if only to get as lenient a sentence he would afford for perverting the cause of his own position (well, ex position now) and for allowing both Chris and Mickie to be subjected to such dangers. The older man seemed to be taking his sweet time to gather his thoughts and John had been considering that he was going to need to hurry the man along when Jerry did it for him. It probably looked better than it would have coming from John.

“Yeah…” Shawn hung his head, “I knew he wanted the land, and I know he wasn’ above usin’ threats to geddit.” A low outbreak of murmuring started to rumble up again and the gavel banged. The noise was beginning to give Chris a headache but he knew that if he made any such gesture to his head then that was going to make everyone panic and start to doubt the evidence that he would later give. He was going to mention the time that Shawn had visited him whilst he had been at the doctor’s because that had essentially been a confession that Hunter had been the one for all final dealings and Shawn was just along for the ride.

“Did Helmsley ever tell you what he wanted the land for?”

The man’s brow furrowed, “Not really. He on’y tol’ me it’d be worth its weight in gold.”

Well, he wasn’t joking there. “As it turns out Miss James’ land is sitting on top of a potential oil-rig space.” Shawn’s eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. The man wasn’t that good of an actor so John deduced that he genuinely hadn’t been aware of that development in the plans. “So… did he mention t’ya what David Batista was doin’ in the area?” he pressed and Shawn shivered, looking uncomfortable.

“Yeah, he’d mentioned Dave t’me. He said the guy was pretty good at this kinda thing ya know? He said we wouldn’ need t’worry abou’ Chris anymore…” He was making a point not to look at Chris and the blonde’s jaw was set tightly from the words, “He said that once we got Chris outta t’way then I could… I could take over as mayor an’ then we’d be able t’see exactly what legal stuff Mickie—Miss James, had on ‘er land.”

Many of the jury were beginning to look somewhat uneasy and John had to fight the urge to roll his eyes in obvious irritation; there wasn’t anything they could do about him now after all. “So he didn’ ever ask you personally t’go an’ take any action against Chris or Miss James?”

Shawn shook his head, “Nah, he was jus’ always askin’ me abou’ the best place t’look for lawyers an’ wantin’ legal books and stuff to see what claims Miss James had on the land. I didn’ have nothin’ to do with the actual attacks, I swear it!” John begrudgingly had to accept that Shawn didn’t have anything physically to do with it--- he might be a big man with a gun and a pretty convincing public speaker but he didn’t seem to have much stomach for the thought of attacking a person head-on.

“Mayor Jericho’d like t’say somethin’, judge,” John addressed the man as propriety demanded, but he wanted to roll his eyes (along with a few others in the court-room, Michael Cole being the most notable) when Jerry seemed to puff up at the title.

“Alright, c’mon up Mr Mayor,” he indicated but Chris merely stood up instead. It would have been easier for him than having to fight his way out of the stands and then back again--- he’d probably find his seat had been pinched by the time he managed to get back again.

“Whilst I was in the doc’s office our then-sheriff,” Shawn cringed as Chris levelled a glare at him, “Came t’see me. He obviously thought I was still unconscious even though I’d actually awoken that morning—“Shawn blanched somewhat. “He said, basically, that this all could have been avoided if I just hadn’t been in the way.”

Mrs Michaels’ head dropped somewhat in shame and John couldn’t help but feel sorry for the woman as he saw her obvious distress and betrayal out of the corner of his eye; it was something he had sadly seen many times before, when a spouse was confronted by the prospect of their wife/husband engaging in criminal activity. Shawn hadn’t been the one to hit Chris with the axe-handle, but he may as well have done given that he hadn’t had the foresight to lock Shawn or Dave up in a pre-emptive strike. John asked a few more questions about Hunter’s plans, and anything more he knew about Dave, before he was then forced to concede that he had nothing more to say. He looked to Mike, but the lawyer merely shook his head too. There was little more they could ask at this point and the situation had essentially been solved. All that was left now was to sentence Shawn and then… then ready the gibbet for the following morning. Even the mere thought had his stomach rolling powerfully.

Despite bringing often dangerous men to justice, men who had done such horrendous things that they deserved no less than a hanging, John had never enjoyed having to witness such things. It was… it was something that you didn’t get over, that much was for certain. Running a hand over his short hair John nodded his head to Jerry and said, “That’s all we needed t’ask him, judge.” Jerry then looked to the jury and sent them out. Alex had Shawn kept under close scrutiny, probably because the man seemed so skittish, like a horse about to bolt. However, it would not do Shawn any favours to run. Hell, as they had proved yesterday it wouldn’t do anyone any favours to run; the sheer amount of people in there would end up with people being trampled and crushed to death, and John would understandably like to avoid such a situation if they could do. As the jury filed out of the room John leant against the desk Mike was sitting at, sighing.

“After all that,” Mike said softly, John having to lean down a little to hear him, “It seems as though justice was served but not the way we would have liked it.” He didn’t feel comfortable about the prospect of both Shawn and Hunter continuing to live in the area even if Dave was taken out of the equation. He hadn’t been intending to hang around anyway and he hadn’t even been there in the first place until Hunter had invited him into the area. Giving a wan nod John caught Chris’ eye.

A slight nod was levelled back to him, though Chris’ eyes reflected his weary displeasure. Though the man had to be just slightly older than him, John had never seen him looking so weary before. Maybe it was a good job that Evan wasn’t there otherwise people’d probably be facing the business end of his gun because they were upsetting Chris in any fashion. Once again his thoughts drifted to Randy and he found himself wishing that the other would come back. The idea of Randy leaving that day for the border bothered him enough as it was, but the thought of Randy leaving without saying goodbye to him was something that John knew he would never be able to forgive the other man for.

His mind was forced back to the matter at hand though when the jury door opened once again and the twelve men came filing back into the room. A thick hush descended across the room even though it was nothing quite like the silence that had accompanied Dave and Hunter’s trials. Shawn was found guilty of his compliance and was recommended to be stripped of his position as sheriff, ordered to pay several fines and to also never set foot near Miss James’ land again. John saw Mickie’s head dip somewhat in obvious unhappiness as Jerry made a few final speeches to close the trial off. Everything seemed to slow down for John, not hearing any words or registering any noise. That was it? That was it and all Shawn and Hunter faced was a potential loss of money and bans? It hardly seemed fair at all. What could he do about it though?

Shawn was led out of the court-house, rules of the town stating that even though they had been cleared of their charges they were to be detained until they had paid the fines that they had coming to them. This might seem redundant but their wives/legal representatives could go and fetch the funds for them. Vaguely John was aware of Mike coming to shake his hand, and Chris coming over to say something to him, but he didn’t register their presences too well. Asking Alex to take the men back to the cells, John then turned his attention to Jerry. The man wanted to commend him for what he had done for the trial, like he had for Mike, before he too left.

Eventually John found himself outside, walking but not even realising where he was going. He just walked, walked until he ended up somewhere near the saloon where Randy and his friends had been staying. He didn’t head into it or its stable though, merely moved into the gap between the two buildings. His hand came up and he threw a punch at the wall. Pain shot from his knuckles and up his arm but he barely felt it. Another punch, another flash of pain, and still he barely flinched.

The skin of his knuckles was tearing, some blood smearing over the rough brick of the wall he was currently venting his frustrations on. If he was seen in this state then he would probably have looked as though he had been attempting to set innocent men up given how unhappy he was about the change of events, but… he couldn’t help it. It was so fucking unjust that Hunter and Shawn had essentially gotten away with everything they had done with little more than a slapped wrist.

Since John was so focused on his current task of smashing the wall to pieces with his bare hands he didn’t realise that someone had heard the small thud and grunt rhythm and came to investigate. For several long moments the person watched as John essentially broke his own hands, angry tears in his eyes and clear self-disappointment in each punch that he threw. A body at his back had John freezing somewhat and that small moment was all his assailant needed to catch his wrists in a firm grip before pulling him back into a solid chest. John started to thrash somewhat, intending to free himself and give the person who had gotten hold of him what-for, but when a musky scent enveloped his senses he found himself sagging in what was probably an embarrassingly weak gesture. “Randy?” he rasped quietly, not turning.

“There’s only one kinda poundin’ I like t’see ya doing, sheriff, an’ it don’ involve yer hands an’ a wall,” Randy’s voice was somewhat breathless, as though he had been running, and John found himself momentarily distracted from his anger to wonder what the other had been up to. He didn’t have much chance to ask about it though considering Randy chose that moment to turn him around and lift up both of his injured hands, kissing the bleeding and bruised knuckles lightly as he kept his eyes locked with John’s. “Yah did t’best ya could, John. Helmsley’s as crooked as they come an’ it woulda taken a miracle t’get the man. The fact that ya at least got ‘em fer somethin’s gotta count, right?” he obviously hadn’t been there to see, but the sheer amount of conversations he had heard on his way to tailing John had filled him in on the necessary information.

“But he’s still free,” said John, still unhappy about that. “It’s like those people thought that s’long as he wasn’t the one doin’ the dirty work, it wasn’t worth puttin’ him away! That means he’s still gonna be around an’ pullin’ his dirty tricks and I don’t know what Mickie’s gonna do but that’s an awful lot of money ta stick by a principle. I think he might get the land now, and then he’ll want a stranglehold on the whole town. That happens and Bone Orchard might as well be renamed Helmsleyville.”

Randy shook his head. “Theat might happen. And it might not. I think Chris is gonna have a lot ta say about it and Evan’ll be there ta watch his back too...” He trailed off, wondering about the towns future more than ever. “There ain’t nothin’ that can be done about it now. Y’did the best ya could.”

John nodded. “But it weren’t good enough, was it?” He tried to swallow his bitterness. “What happened to you? Why did ya leave in the middle of the trial? I was thinkin’...”

“That I’d skipped town?” John looked embarrassed and Randy gave a slightly rueful chuckle. “Well I ain’t... not yet at least. I’m headin’ out, today. If everythin’ went right then Cody and Ted are already long gone. I gotta meet ‘em.”

“Right.” John wasn’t surprised to feel the way his heart sank at the news.

Shawn was certainly looking the worse for the wear when he came into the room but Chris found that he had very little sympathy for his ex-friend. He had trusted Shawn once, trusted him almost

“But I made the time ta say a proper goodbye.” Randy gave him a smile. “You wanna head back ta my room, one last time fer the two of us?”

“Back to the room, yeah,” agreed John. “The one last time, I ain’t so keen on.”

The two fell into step as they headed for the Burchill saloon and although John’s room was nicer the last thing he needed was to be interrupted by the DiBiase brothers on a rampage.

“I went out ta help Cody get Ted the hell outta Bone Orchard,” said Randy, going back to the previous question. “The boy ran, take it ya heard?”

“Oh yeah.” John thought back to Ted’s brothers with a frown. “I don’t think that’s gonna be taken lightly. Probably best he got out fast.”

“You’ve got no idea,” said Randy grimly. “They got Dr Ross ta sign an order sayin’ he’s traumatised. Needs ta be under a doctor’s care, the kind that sticks ya in a rubber room fer a few years ‘til ya cooperate.”

John stopped dead. “You’re kiddin’.”

“Nope. We overheard ‘em, good thing they didn’t recognise us from them posters.” Randy shrugged. “O’ course, I don’t think they were interested in lookin’ fer us, they was keepin’ an eye out fer Ted. Why Ross would sign it, I got no idea.”

“Maybe he didn’t think that Theodore DiBiase, silver mine heir, was the same man as Ted Smith.” John sighed heavily, starting to walk again. “But they got outta here?”

“I don’t know.” Randy chewed on his lip. “I’ll say this, if anyone can do it, it’s my boys. I left ‘em at the stables. I went with ‘em ta keep a watch but I left ‘em ta go on after Ted by themselves. My job was creatin’ a distraction.”

“Randy!” John looked horrified. “If ya’d been recognised...”

“But I wasn’t.” Randy frowned a little as he saw the saloon in the distance. “Let’s get offa the street before any more trouble arises. If it all went ta shit, we’ll hear ‘bout it soon enough.”

Randy grew quiet and John wondered if it was because of his friends and the uncertainty of their escape. Something that was disproved the next time Randy spoke. “What’re ya gonna be doin’ now?”

“Well, I thought I was goin’ back ta yer room so’s we could git busy—“

“That ain’t what I meant and yer know it.” But there was a glimmer of a smile on Randy’s face. “I meant – now. Now this whole trial’s over, now we’re headin’ off. You goin’ home?”

John hadn’t thought about it – no, that was a lie. He had thought about it plenty but as of that morning had not come to a decision. “I dunno,” he said slowly. “I miss my family and all, but – Randy, they don’t need me at home. There’s another sheriff down there doin’ my job while I was recouperatin’ and he’s doin’ a fine job. I wouldn’t feel right ‘bout just walkin’ in after all this time and takin’ back the position. But I’d not be happy doin’ anythin’ else.”

“You like bein’ a lawman?”

“Yeah. Though it’s frustratin’, like ya saw today. Dangerous sometimes too. But when ya make the town ya live in a safer place fer everyone, it’s a good feelin’. There ain’t no other like it.”

Randy gave John an understanding look. “Yer thinkin’ of stayin’ in Bone Orchard.”

John raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn’t expected that Randy would realise that. “Well, yeah. Chris made some mention of keepin’ me ‘round the place if I wanted to once this was done with. If that was what I wanted. And like I said, I don’t trust that this is the end of everythin’. Leavin’ with everythin’ still up in the air, it don’t sit right with me.”

They had reached the Birchill saloon by this point and conversation ceased while they let themselves in and went up to Randy’s room. John looked around the room, feeling nostalgic already at the sight of the place he had whiled away so many pleasurable hours lost in Randy’s body, or with Randy lost in his. He was going to miss that.

Randy shrugged off his jacket as John sat on the bed, starting up the talk again as if he’d never been stopped. “If it feels like the right thing ta do, then it probably is. I been livin’ by my instinct my whole life. ‘Course, it got me into trouble more often than not.”

John chuckled slightly and Randy sat on the bed beside him, taking John’s face in one of his large hands. “There’s always the other option. Ya could keep on chasin’ us.”

John’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

Randy shrugged. “Y’gotta know by now that I like you a whole lot. And I guessed when ya stuck around instead of lightin’ on outta town that ya cared about me some too. I figured if ya wanted ta do some more chasin’, maybe I wouldn’t run so hard this time.”

John hesitated. Leave? Like a fugitive? That was against everything he stood for. He had almost decided to stay right where he was and take Chris up on the offer he had made, knowing that he had a real chance to make a difference to a town so recently mired in turmoil. He didn’t know that Chris could handle things alone and he had no desire to leave for Canada and hide himself away when he could be doing something important, the one thing he truly felt was his calling in life.

On the other hand there was Randy – and the man on his own was damned close to tipping the scales.

“I ain’t about ta go flouncing outta here if ya say no Sheriff.” Randy’s voice was low and his eyes never left John’s. “I can take it. And I’ll still be sayin’ my farewells in just the way I intended to. It ain’t like we’ll never be back neither. In a year or so, when the heat’s off and the time feels right, we’ll be headin’ back this way again – we’ll be long forgot by most. And yer the first person I’ll look up. But I ain’t gonna be able ta live with myself if I didn’t at least ask. I ain’t never found it so hard ta say goodbye ta anyone in my whole life.”

~:~

“I dunno how long Randy can stall ‘em for,” said Evan as they took the long way to his house (and even thinking of it that way made him want to smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation) so that Brett and Mike didn’t see Penny. “It ain’t his forte.”

“He can buy us a few minutes.” Cody faced forward, expression determined as if he had to tear through a horde to get to his lover rather than just make it to the mayor’s house before the two men who wanted to take Ted from him. He couldn’t allow that, not when they had decided to be together and especially not now he knew that they were going to say Ted wasn’t fit to make his own choices. He wasn’t certain that Ted would end up in an asylum or if he did, it would be a plush private place for the rich and embarrassing rather than some of the hell-holes they heard stories about – but either way, it wasn’t going to happen. If Ted wanted to avoid marriage and be with Cody, then Cody thought it was inexplicable but certainly not insanity. And he wasn’t about to pass up this piece of luck.

They got to Chris’ house in record time, bringing their horses to a stop at the low wall that marked the property. Immediately Ted poked his head from his hiding place and almost sagged in relief when he saw Cody and Evan astride their horses, although both dismounted as they saw Ted was safe and sound. Ted knew better than to run to the horses but he still had a good turn of speed as he approached and Evan took the reins of both as Cody stepped up to him and the two men all but fell into each other’s arms. There was no one else around and they used the moment for a hug of sheer relief. Upon seeing it, Evan couldn’t help but feel a pang. He wanted to stay with Chris but he was going to miss his friends. At least he knew upon watching the two of them together that he had done the right thing by getting involved in this last break for the border, even though they would be leaving him behind.

Cody was the first to pull away. “We hafta go Teddy, now.” He tried to convey the urgency to his lover through his eyes, not wanting to tell Ted just why it was so important until much later, when they were safe and Ted could feel whatever betrayal or understanding he had when he could mull on it, not when they were fleeing town. Ted nodded, but rather than get on his horse right away he merely took the reins for both from Evan. Cody got it right away; rushed as they might be, he needed to give a proper goodbye to one of his best friends.

Evan took a step forward and threw his arms around Cody, the other returning the favour. They stayed that way for long moments, then Evan leaned back, unsurprised but a little embarrassed to find himself close to tears. “You take care of yaself and him, you hear me?”

“I hear ya.” Cody’s eyes looked a little shiny too and Evan guessed it was as emotional for his friend as it was for him. “I ain’t goin’ forever y’know. We’ll see each other again.”

“I’m countin’ on it.” Evan pressed his lips together and laughed. “Git outta here before ya get caught or I make a fool outta myself. And you need anythin’, anythin’ at all, ya git yer ass back here and I’ll be waitin’.”

“Gonna miss ya.” Cody shook his head a moment and then took the reins for his horse from Ted, trying to control himself. He wasn’t sorry that he was leaving with Ted, but he was very sorry that he was going without Evan.

“Let’s go.” He tipped his hat to Evan and Ted gave the smaller man a rather tentative smile as Evan passed his bag of belongings up to him. And then Cody kicked his horse into a trot, Ted following right behind as the two men took off, heading out of Bone Orchard.

Evan sat on the wall outside his new house which he shared with his lover, bowing his head and allowing himself a few tears, a moment to grieve the passing of the times the three of them had shared together. He had made his choice and didn’t regret a thing, but he knew he was going to miss both of his friends more than he’d ever be able to put into words.


	43. Chapter Forty-Two: Time To Move On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The DiBiase brothers make one last-ditch attempt to find Ted, and Evan says goodbye to the second man who has been like a brother to him as he leaves his life of crime behind.

It didn’t take long, upon Mike and Brett arriving at Layla’s house, to find they had been duped. Much to the mortification of both Layla didn’t even know a ‘Ted DiBiase’, she only knew a ‘Ted Smith’. Though their apologies had been accepted with good grace both men left the house red-faced and thoroughly embarrassed--- though Mike’s redness was also caused through anger that they had been so easily fooled. “Just wait until I get my hands on that—“Brett heard Mike’s teeth grin together.

“We should check the saloon one last time and then we can go to the mayor’s house,” Brett tried to appease the other man, placing a hand on Mike’s shoulder. In the back of his mind he was aware that Ted had run out on them, for good, and he could feel his heart breaking a little. He didn’t want to admit to the fact but when they reached the hotel room and were let inside to find only belongings that apparently were the sheriff’s, they knew that they had lost. Mike’s cry of outrage was heard from the room and Wade looked up curiously from where he had been hanging a customer a drink. The man also looked up at the noise but then merely shrugged and returned to his conversation. The next thing he was aware of was the DiBiase brothers coming back down the stairs.

“Somethin’ wrong, gentleman?” he called lightly.

Although the dark haired one didn’t stop the youngest did. Looking extremely contrite and apologetic he shook his head, “I’m sorry for the noise and no, nothing’s wrong.” He paused, looking uncomfortable, “Well, something is wrong but you can’t do anything about it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out several notes (unawares of the greedy eyes that focused on him until Wade levelled them all with a dangerous warning look) before handing them to the surprised barkeep with a small smile.

“This will cover anything left that our brother hasn’t paid for, for both us and him,” he then nodded and turned and hastened out of the saloon after his brother. Wade looked down at the notes in his hands in clear surprise; that was far more than what the brothers had to pay him, but something told him that if he attempted to give any back he would be rejected.

“Wow,” Justin’s voice sounded suddenly and Wade jumped a little from the sudden sound in his ear, waving off the apologetic look Justin shot at him before nodding his head a little. “Wow indeed,” he murmured before turning and placing the money in the cash register.

Michael DiBiase would not accept the fact that their brother had run out on them for another hour though when to both the sheriff’s office and the mayor’s home turned up nothing more than well-wishes for Ted’s safety ‘wherever he may have ended up’ and also for their journey home. It was with heavy hearts that the DiBiases’ made their way back to their coachman, the man clearly fed up but letting his ire fade when he saw the faces of his charges. He had been told he would be taking three home; not two, but he figured that mentioning the third was something that best not occurred for a while. With a whistle and a crack of the reins, Michael and Brett DiBiase left Bone Orchard with a helpless backwards glance.

~:~

Chris’ return back to the house found Evan sitting on the wall, the younger man looking so despondent and yet so beautiful all the same. His heart ached when he saw the tears that had left shining trails on Evan’s cheeks, but to his surprise the other was smiling slightly. Giving a small whistle to alert the other to his arrival (and to allow Evan a few moments to compose himself should he need it) he then smiled softly as Evan’s head whipped around to face him and the smile became a little brighter. He had been waylaid on his way back by two men who had introduced themselves as Ted’s brothers and Chris had had to use all of his acting skills not to give away the game when he had claimed he had no idea where Ted might be hiding… though it certainly couldn’t be his house seeing as how he wasn’t even there.

They hadn’t been impressed but Chris couldn’t find it in his heart to feel guilty for lying to them. They cared about their brother, that much was obvious, but they had to learn to trust him and let him make his own decisions. Placing an arm around Evan’s shoulders he dropped a kiss to his forehead and then gently wiped a few more stray tears away. “You Ok?” he asked gently and Evan sighed and nodded as his own arm slipped around Chris’ waist in turn.

“I’m Ok,” he assured the other. Well, he would be before too long. It was only natural he was going to be sad and morose for a little bit and he really appreciated that Chris was allowing him to have his moment and not calling attention to it deliberately. “At least they got outta here togetha, and I doubt anythin’ll be stoppin’ them now.” Hopefully Randy would at least stop by to say goodbye before he went, though if he didn’t have the chance the smaller man knew that he couldn’t hold it against him. He would just kick his ass for it the next time he came into town. As they got inside the house Chris gently chivvied Evan to go an sit down whilst he went and got them both a drink. Though he wasn’t especially a fan of being babied Evan would be lying if he said that he didn’t appreciate the attention, especially at that time.

Blinking hazily he realised that there was a glass before him and he smiled slightly in apology for spacing out before then moving and accepting the glass. Chris sat down beside him and Evan leant his head on the man’s shoulder. The curtains were still closed and Evan wondered how long it would be before Chris asked /why/ that was exactly. He couldn’t deny he rather admired what Ted had done, taking the decision to leave with his lover as opposed to letting himself be bound by duty, and he silently toasted the pair and wished them well. Absently he wondered whether they would soon be visited by another couple that would soon be making its way to the safety of the border.

“You don’t regret it, do you?” Chris asked softly and Evan’s head popped up to look at him in obvious surprise before he then smiled softly and shook his head.

“No, Chris. If I’d regretted it then I wouldn’t be here still, would I?” knocking back the liquor in his glass he then placed the item on the floor (“We need t’get you a new table, Chris,” he chuckled) before taking Chris’ own when the other had finished and doing the same. As soon their hands were free Evan moved himself to settle comfortably onto Chris’ lap, Chris’ arms going around him immediately.

A soft kiss was exchanged between the pair before they merely settled together, foreheads resting against one another’s. Quirking a slight smile one of Chris’ hands came up and began rubbing soothing circles on Evan’s back. “You know,” he mused lightly, Evan pulling back just a little too, properly looking at the other with an eyebrow raised somewhat in question, “Things might get a little borin’ around here now that this is all sorted and finished. Ya sure you’re Ok with that?” after all he had been living a life founded on danger and travelling for years.

A soft laugh left Evan and he nodded his head, “Yes, I’m Ok with that.” He might not be considered that old but he felt in his heart that he was more than ready to settle down. With Chris.

Gentle hands began to comb through his hair and Chris sighed softly, letting his eyes fall closed. “Feeling tired old man?” Evan teased softly and Chris chuckled without opening his eyes.

“Well, we have had a busy day.” It was amazing to think that it was only midway through the afternoon considering everything that they had been doing that day.

“True,” Evan nodded, yawning behind his hand, “I’m feelin’ pretty tired myself.”

Feeling a large, warm hand cupping his cheek Evan smiled slightly when Chris finally opened his eyes again and said, “How about we go an’ have a bit of a nap before we think about gettin’ some dinner on, huh?” nodding, Evan slid off of Chris’ lap and then extended a hand to the other. Chris was still a little shaky on his feet whenever he stood up or sat down, but it was definitely better than before.

~:~

As soon as he had had the three outlaws placed in the lock-up Alex sighed somewhat and eyed Jamie. The other seemed to have been taking his duties seriously recently what with all the drama that was going on but there was a part of him that was still wary about leaving the man alone with the other three men if he happened to go out and see Mike. He really wanted to see the young lawyer because he had seen how disappointed the other had been with the way things had turned out and he wanted to offer him reassurance. John would understand he knew that much, but that still left Alex with the uncertainty as to whether Jamie could be trusted. Maybe if he took the keys with him then he wouldn’t need to worry so much because the feeble-minded Noble couldn’t be bullied or tricked into letting them out early.

The three had been surprisingly silent since the trial, though Hunter seemed to have regained some of the swagger that had had lost when he had been caught out on the oil incident, whereas Shawn still seemed like something of a wreck. The weirdest thing of all though was the way that he found himself feeling /sorry/ for Batista after everything the man had done. He didn’t understand exactly why he was feeling that way but he supposed it had to be the same feelings that Mike had had regarding the situation; one man appeared to be acquiring all the blame even though he hadn’t been acting on his own merit per se. it was a strange feeling indeed.

“I’ve got somethin’ I need t’take care of, Noble,” Alex addressed the other and he jumped; it seemed he had been falling to sleep where he had been settled back in his chair, “D’ya think ya can manage to be on yer own fer a little while?”

Though Jamie’s brow furrowed in obvious suspicion and displeasure he flushed and lowered his head sheepishly when Alex merely levelled a brow at him; Jamie owed Alex for many occasions where he had been slipping off in the past and they both knew it. “Yeah, yeah I c’n manage.”

Alex nodded, standing up and placing his hat back on his head as he pocketed the jailhouse key. “If anythin’ happens ya can come an’ find me at Mr Mizanin’s house.”

No one would find it especially odd that he was visiting the man, not after the trials and everything, and given that they were friends. Indeed, Jamie didn’t seem to make any untoward connections and Alex made sure not to look towards the cells as he made his way out of the jailhouse. The streets were once again surprisingly empty, though he supposed many were celebrating in their homes that justice had supposedly been done or doing the same but in the saloons with much more drinking involved. The closer Alex got to Mike’s house the more uncertain he became; would Mike want company?

Shaking off those thoughts he knocked on Mike’s door (and gave a cheerful wave to the sour-faced neighbour who peeked out from behind her lace curtains and then ducked back again when she realised Alex was looking at her) and then waited. For several long moments he thought that the other wasn’t in and mentally slapped himself as he realised Mike may have had to go back to the office to compile any documents that needed doing. Just as he was turning to leave the house though the door opened and Mike appeared. He looked somewhat dishevelled and tired and Alex’s expression softened. “Hey there,” he greeted softly to the elder.

“Hey,” Mike returned with a smile, stepping back to let Alex in.

As soon as the door closed behind them Alex drew Mike into his arms, revelling in the way the other seemed to fit so naturally into his embrace. “You did real well, Mike,” he said softly, feeling small shudders emitting from the other, “-I’m so proud of ya.” They remained in the hallway for quite a while, neither man wanting to break the embrace that was happening between them.

~:~

They had been riding for over an hour before Cody finally motioned that they should stop. Ted looked around at the desolate landscape and found himself momentarily wondering how they were going to manage in such an area... and then he chastised himself for such thinking. There was hardly going to be a saloon out here in the middle of nowhere, of course they were going to have to camp out in the open. The blonde found himself hoping that it didn’t rain because he doubted any of them were going to be any good at all if they ended up catching hypothermia.

Slowing his own horse down Ted slipped off of Penny and patted her neck before looking to Cody. The other motioned for him to put his bag down on the floor, his own joining it, weighing down the horses reins to keep them from wandering, though they wouldn’t be able to go far. “Across that ridge—“Cody pointed and Ted followed the line of his indication, “—there’s a small waterin’ hole we can use.” Sometimes it was safer to stay away from being too close to such areas though, especially if there were Indians rumoured to be in the area.

“If ya go an’ collect some sticks fer the fire, Teddy,” Cody sent his lover a soft, somewhat apologetic smile, “Then I can go an’ get us some water.” They weren’t going to light the fire yet, because they weren’t stopping there precisely for the night, they were just stocking up on amenities, as it were, and waiting for Randy to catch up to them. They would ride until nightfall and stop where they had chosen, and then there would be about half a day’s ride between them and the final town that stood between them and the border. The border itself would take about two days and so they would definitely need to get provisions then. Nodding his head immediately Ted sent the other a reassuring smile before then turning and heading off across the dusty and rocky ground. Aside from coming across animal bones now and again the experience wasn’t that bad.

“It’s not a glamorous lifestyle I know,” Cody confessed when he returned with several canteens full of water which they would use for cooking as well as drinking, “But it’s somethin’ that ya can get used to pretty quickly.” And Cody would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit to the thought of cuddling with Ted underneath the stars would make the outdoors much more bearable.

“It’s not too bad,” Ted insisted; he knew that Cody was still hanging onto reservations and though he himself still had a few he didn’t want Cody to think he regretted the situation.

After they had packed up what they had gathered Ted walked the horses across to where the water-hole was and allowed the animals to drink. The sun was still high in the sky though the colour was dulling just a little. He felt as though he had been travelling with the other for hours already even though it hadn’t been very long indeed, and he knew that he was going to be able to manage so long as Cody was there to offer him guidance. As he returned with the horses he found that Cody was sitting on the floor besides their things and looking up to the sky absently.

Sitting beside the other (after securing the horses down) Ted found himself looking at Cody’s profile. He could understand why he had been nicknamed ‘Dashing’ because it suited him down to the ground. Despite how well that word fit though he couldn’t help in his own mind thinking that as far as he was concerned Cody was always going to be beautiful. Shyly, he let his hand cross the small distance between their bodies and rest atop Cody’s own.

The other’s fingers immediately twined through his and Cody took a deep breath before exhaling it on a sigh. For the first time in his life he felt truly free. Even when he had first met Cody there had been the shackles of propriety clanking in the background, alerting him to the fact that their situation was only temporary… but now he was free of the shackles, and the responsibilities. Now he didn’t have to care about anything other than himself, and his lover. And Randy, he supposed with a small chuckle to himself. Cody looked amused at his seemingly random laughter but said nothing, both merely settling in for the wait for the third member of their group.

~:~

The confession sent a strange feeling clogging up his chest, as though someone was sitting atop his ribs and preventing him from breathing properly. He really didn’t know if he could do what Randy was asking of them; he wouldn’t ever be able to be seen interacting with the new trio closely because then things would become incredibly suspicious, but at the same time he really didn’t want the other to leave. Cupping Randy’s cheek John exhaled a soft sigh.

“Ya promise me that yeh’ll come back again as soon as yah can?” John asked softly, apologetically--- that question had essentially given his answer for him hadn’t it? Though there was a momentary sadness (at least, that was what it had looked like to John) in Randy’s eyes the other merely gave an accepting smile and then nodded his head. “Yeah I will, I swear it,” he might be an outlaw but his word was his bond, more so to the people that he cared about than anyone else.

A sense of acceptance crossed between them both and as their lips met each silently acknowledged that although a year was a long time it wasn’t forever, and they would meet again one day. Randy knew no one would ever come close to how John made him feel even if he did have his attentions released in other ways until he returned. The thought of John doing the same bothered him greatly but he could hardly demand that the man remained celibate even when he wasn’t that sure himself he wouldn’t be able to do the same. In heart and mind he wouldn’t be straying and he knew now that physicality alone meant nothing.

Tongues danced and twined, both fighting for dominance before John finally allowed Randy to claim his mouth. Hats were swept off of the bed from where they had fallen from their heads as they kissed, hands tugging at vests and shirts, buttons popping and falling away to some degree in their eagerness to get one another naked. Randy still had time before nightfall and he knew that he would catch up with Cody and Ted, but a day or two extra wouldn’t throw their plans off too badly. In short he wasn’t going to rush this final encounter that he had with John. He wanted to savour it.

As Randy’s mouth attached to his nipple John moaned, head falling back as he arched upwards. His hands struggled still to get Randy’s belt out of the way so that he could get the other’s pants off. Eventually Randy seemed to take pity on his efforts (and flashing him a cheeky grin that had John whacking his shoulder lightly in retaliation as he gave a sheepish and dimpled grin) and pulled back enough to divest himself –and John- of any remaining garments of clothing.

Heated flesh pressed to heated flesh and Randy pressed his face into the crook of John’s neck before finally latching onto his collarbone. The bite broke John’s skin and the man gave a pained sound but he didn’t push him off. The suction and hot, wet tongue that followed soon soothed it anyway. “I owe ya fer that’n,” John rasped, voice coming out as a rather impassioned growl and Randy shivered before licking his lips lasciviously.

“Looking forward to it,” he purred, allowing himself to be pulled in for another kiss.

His hands spanned over John’s chest and sides as John’s own spanned over his back, nails digging in just slightly. Teeth clacked together as they kissed, saliva dripping gloriously from the kisses to cover their chins and lips but neither cared; mess was nothing after all, and it felt so fucking good. When the kiss broke John made a sound of protest, but when Randy pressed two fingers into his mouth instead with a sensual smirk John merely rolled his eyes and began to bob his head up and down upon them. Two fingers weren’t going to be enough prep, but John knew and didn’t care. He wanted this. He wanted to feel the other as much as possible.

Randy growled quietly as John slicked up two of his fingers with saliva, not at all sure himself that it was going to be enough, but John didn’t seem even remotely concerned about it. Instead he curled his tongue around the knuckles in a fashion that was bordering on obscene, meeting Randy’s eyes with some very wicked intent reflected in his own. It occurred to Randy that he was going to miss John more than he could probably imagine while the man was in front of him, but he’d find out. And then he would need to treasure this memory a long, long time. He wasn’t sure he’d even be alive in a year, although the thought of putting himself in danger meant that he would never lay eyes on John again and that thought had no appeal whatsoever.

John drew his mouth back from Randy’s fingers and the taller wasted no time in moving them down his body, circling his entrance with the tip. It was going to be tight, that much he already knew but he was sure that he could do enough that John would not be harmed. He would feel it, but one thing he had come to learn about his lover was that he was no fragile bitch; he gave as good as he got and on occasion, he liked to play rough. Pressing a single digit deep inside John, Randy caught his breath as the other arched slightly, inner muscles relaxing enough to give him entry and then seeming to grip him as if reluctant to ever let him go. Randy set to work, stretching those muscles in anticipation of being inside his lover completely, perfectly – and for the last time in quite a while.

In spite of the apparent need to be less than gentle with one another neither one wanted to take it fast either. Fast would mean ending too soon and although it was always going to be too soon to end it, why rush to be parted? Instead Randy took a good long time over his preparation, sliding a second finger inside John and pressing against his prostate. As John’s hips left the bed in an involuntary motion, Randy used his tongue to swipe a cheeky stripe along the underside of John’s cock, causing the man to buck still more beneath the assault.

Taking John into his mouth completely, Randy continued his preparation of the other – he didn’t want John to forget any of this, not a moment. If John was to take a lover while Randy was gone (and he wasn’t about to forbid it, or to assume that John would not) then he wanted them to be unable to measure up to the standard he had set. More than that, he wanted this to be incredibly memorable for reasons of his own. John meant more to him than anyone, his boys included and he wanted to leave him with something special.

“Randy—“ John’s voice was ragged, his hands threading in the short strands of Randy’s hair as he hollowed his cheeks and teased John with long, slow sucks, giving the occasional glancing touch to his prostate but never doing enough to bring him off. “I need – gah, I need you inside a’ me Randy, right now!”

Randy drew his lips from John’s cock and looked at the man seriously. “You sure? You can take it?”

“I want it,” replied John which wasn’t quite the same thing, but he knew that it didn’t matter whether or not he was wholly ready or if he wasn’t; he simply had to have the other claim him right away.

Randy withdrew his fingers and positioned himself over his lover, pulling one of John’s legs around his waist and keeping his eyes locked with the man’s as he nudged the head of his cock against john’s entrance. John nodded once and Randy pushed in, stopping when he was barely an inch inside. John gave some sound which might have been a gasp or a hiss, he had no idea but he clearly didn’t want Randy to stop. His hips rose as he tried to force Randy deeper inside of him, his other leg locking around Randy’s waist and pulling the man closer to him. Giving in to his lovers demands, Randy sank the rest of the way inside John and paused again, for his own sake this time. With so little preparation John felt tighter than ever around him, gripping him in that warm heat. He wondered for a moment how he was ever supposed to say goodbye to that feeling, one that had never been equalled by another, but the thought was replaced when he started to move, unable to focus on what may or may not happen in the future when the present was so filled with bliss.

They took it slowly, Randy thrusting as deeply into John as he was able to and John crying out his pleasure with every movement. At some point John’s hands went from Randy’s shoulders and their fingers linked, Randy pressing John down against the bed as he leaned over the other, kissing, nipping, trying to savour every last moment. John gripped Randy’s hands tightly, trying to hold off inevitable completion for as long as he could, just wanting that time to last forever. There were no words, there was no need. Only the language spoken by their bodies, the sounds of the bed beneath them and the pleasured sounds that neither of them could bear to hold in.

John curled his legs tighter still around Randy and used his momentum to flip them, having come almost to the end of how long he would be able to last. He wasn’t at all used to this long, slow action, even with Randy. They had shared frenzied fucks and fun, mutually pleasurable sex but he supposed what they were doing now was making love and every moment was an exquisite, tortuous pleasure that he never wanted to end. Randy didn’t fight the movement and John ended up on top, Randy still buried inside of him, leaning back and giving a quiet cry as he felt Randy pressing solidly against his prostate. It had always seemed that Randy was inside him deeper when he was in that position but right then, he felt the other so much that they barely seemed to be separate people anymore.

Randy’s hand wrapped around his cock and the formerly slow pace was lost as they both gave in to what had to happen, speeding up the movements of their hips and focusing only on their own pleasure and each others. John choked off a cry as he felt himself throbbing beneath Randy’s hand, certain that he was going to lose his control first – only he felt Randy twitched inside of him and they went over the edge together, each others names on their lips but lost as the ability to be coherent all but left them. John milked Randy for all he was worth, still moving even after he was certain the other had to be spent because he didn’t want this done with. Not at all.

But his post-release exhaustion caught up to him and he collapsed forward onto Randy’s chest, finding the other man’s hands on his back right away as they lay for close to an hour, no words exchanged, merely drawing strength in one another’s presence.

Eventually though, John moved aside so that Randy could sit up, watching from the bed as the outlaw rose, going to the water jug and using a towel to clean the drying evidence of their time together from his body. He didn’t do an outstanding job of it, but at least he wasn’t dirty... John thought though that the man would be smelling of sex until he had a proper wash.

“Ain’t ya gonna clean up some more than that?” he asked as Randy shrugged on his clothes.

“Nah,” returned the other. “I like havin’ somethin’ ta remember ya by.” He didn’t add that it would fade, but John knew it all too well. The marks he had left on Randy’s skin would also fade and soon, there would be nothing to prove that they had ever been intimate. Nothing but their memories at least.

He fell silent as Randy threw his own things and the things that Cody had left behind into a bag, taking rather longer than he needed to about it. John didn’t want to say how bereft he felt already – and god only knew how bad he’d feel once Randy was actually gone.

Once packed, Randy unexpectedly jumped onto the bed, straddling him and initiating a kiss that while slow and loving also spoke of the passion he had for the sheriff. “I ain’t much good at sayin’ goodbye, so I ain’t gonna bore ya with it,” he said gruffly. “Just remember this John, I will be back for ya.” With that he got up, grabbed his bags and with a last look back at the bed and the man on it, walked out of the door and out of John’s life.

Leaving the Burchill saloon was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.

He bypassed the bar, knowing that the talk there would be all about the trial and probably his own role in it, something that already felt very distant, as if it had been years past rather than hours. He tried to take his mind off everything by saddling up Venom and attaching his bags to the horse before riding out, reminding himself to avoid the DiBiase brothers. But that didn’t seem of any importance. All of a sudden, very little did.

Chris’ house was on his way and of course, there was no chance that he would have left without saying goodbye to Evan. Two people gone from him in one day; his internal weather was a long way from sunny. Hanging onto the reins he knocked at the door, having to wait quite a while before Chris opened it, dressed in his pants with his shirt mis-fastened. It looked like Randy had disturbed the mayor’s rest.

“He’s inside,” said Chris without asking more questions. “I’ll take the reins.”

“Yeah, well just don’t get close ta her teeth,” warned Randy before he walked inside, finding Evan at the foot of the stairs, watching him with wide eyes. A moment later the smaller man had thrown himself against Randy and was just about hugging the breath from him. In a completely unprecedented act, Randy didn’t reprimand him. In fact, he hugged back just as hard.

It was Evan that drew back first, giving Randy a curious glance. “Uh... yer a bit damp ‘round the eyes there.”

“No I ain’t!” Randy raised a hand to wipe at his eyes, there hadn’t been many tears but a few had definitely escaped. “And if ya tell anyone, I gotta break yer face.”

Evan smiled. “Gonna miss you too Randy.”

“Just you take care of yerself ‘til I get back.” Randy squared his shoulders. “And we’re comin’ back. Gotta check up on ya.”

Nodding, Evan hugged Randy again and watched the other walk from the house, taking the reins off Chris again and exchanging a few quiet words which were no doubt threats. And then Randy was in the saddle and riding from the house, allowing the horse to break into a trot the moment he was back on the road. Evan went to the door and stood close to Chris, watching as Venom accelerated until Randy was entirely out of sight.

When there was nothing more to see, Chris ushered him back in the house and Evan silently wished his friends all the luck in the world as he started the first day of his new life, with his lover there and his friends long gone.


	44. Chapter Forty-Three: It Comes Full Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Year Later in Bone Orchard.
> 
> ((This is the end, thanks for reading, and look out for our future works :3))

Michael DiBiase had been through a turbulent year, featuring highs and lows that he had always thought were supposed to come along only once every so often. The highs had been wonderful. He had married his childhood sweetheart in a huge ceremony and she had confirmed only a month before that she was with child. He was still madly in love with her, even now they were married and he couldn’t imagine life without her, anticipating their first son or daughter (but in his mind he was convinced he was having a son) only made things all the sweeter. The mine had been turning a profit in the last few months, Brett had stepped up and fulfilled his own obligations alongside so many that had been unexpectedly vacated.

The lows had been terrible. When he had arrived back home with only one brother in tow and feeling that his failure must radiate from him, his mother had all but had a breakdown and his father had gone ballistic. Mike never, ever wanted to experience anything like that again. Theodore Senior had raged at them for a long time while Mike tried to explain to him the lengths they had gone to in order to not only find Ted but to bring him home safely. And just as he had expected, the man had ridden out to Bone Orchard himself, taking the order signed by Dr Ross with him. He had stayed away almost a month while Mike had overseen the mine and his mother had gone frantic with worry over her husband and son, but eventually his father had returned alone, finally admitting defeat. Ted was long gone and he had turned up no trace of the erstwhile man.

There was gossip. People loved to talk and Ted suddenly dropping out of sight created enough speculation to fuel the town for a long time. Had he been jailed? Hospitalised? Secretly married? Was he dead? Mike had heard every rumour and he was tired of them. Ted Senior had ordered every member of the DiBiase family to remain close-mouthed as to what had really happened to Ted and although people asked, none were given any information. For most people what had become of Ted was a maddening mystery – but eventually the talk died down. No one forgot and no one ever stopped trying to find out, but other news became the order of the day and Mike was finding that he got a lot less curious looks and stopped a lot less conversations when he showed his face.

There was scandal and embarrassment. Ted’s intended bride had to be told that he had run away rather than marry her, causing her no end of humiliation. She had returned back to her own home, her father threatening to blacken their family name and have all kinds of revenge. The animosity had never faded and he refused to do any kind of business with them – but they had come out of it without too many problems regarding the man. Mike still felt terrible for the young woman who had expected to be married and wondered what kind of stories had gone around about his brother as a result – she would not want to confess the truth after all and there would have to have been some kind of cover. That she had loathed him on sight or that there was something wrong with Ted would have been his best guess, but he had tried to ignore all talk about his brother, no matter who it had come from.

And on a personal level, he missed his brother. He and Ted had been pretty close, the three of them had gone on hunting or fishing trips together or just hung around chatting. On his wedding day he had felt Ted’s absence keenly, hoping that the man would simply show up in the church or at the house with a grin on his face as if he’d only been gone a few hours instead of months. But Ted had not showed. Against his father’s wishes, he had led a toast to absent friends and no one in the room had doubted just who they were drinking to.

But at least he knew Ted was alive and safe.

The first letter had come while his father was away. It had been addressed to all of them and told them only that Ted was alive, that he was well and that he was not returning any time soon. He was enjoying his freedom. He had somehow found out about the plot Mike and Brett had hatched to have him forcibly brought home (something that made Mike cringe with shame; he had expected that given time and patience Ted would forgive him for that but since Ted hadn’t come home, then he would probably still be brooding and angry) although he made only a brief mention of it in that first letter – just enough to let them know he was suffering from no mental affliction.

There had been nothing else for a whole month and then several letters, addressed to all of them individually. Their mother seemed to take comfort in the communication and it made all the difference to her outlook – before that she had been getting depressed and prone to almost hysterical outbursts while she questioned what fate might have befallen her middle child. Ted Senior seemed to relax a little too, although he remained stoic and seemingly resentful of Ted’s wilfulness. The letters had come every month since then, sometimes short and with barely anything to say, sometimes longer and occasionally wistful. But there was never a suggestion that Ted was unhappy with his choice and wanted to return home. And it wasn’t as if Mike could write back and tell him he was always welcome back with the family, they could forgive anything if that would happen. There was no return address, no indication of where it had come from. All that any of them could tell was that by the condition of the letters they did get, they had travelled a considerable distance on the mail coach to be with them.

Mike had taken to trying to spend more time at home since his wife had announced they were to have another member of their family, concerned as to her wellbeing and wanting her to take it easy the whole time. But she could be stubborn and saw no reason why she should not be able to go on as she always had, at least for a few months. If he wasn’t there then she would be actually out of the house, visiting friends and her parents or making purchases, rather than resting with her feet up and a novel or needlework as she should be. He was in his study pouring over the book keeping of the mine – it had been Ted’s job in the past but now it had fallen to himself or Brett and he had difficulty making much sense of it, although Ted had always made it look easy – when he heard an unobtrusive knock on his study door. He recognised the noise as being made by their maid and bade her to enter. She opened the door and hovered at the threshold, looking worried that she might have disturbed him. “Mister Brett to see you Sir.”

Mike immediately forgot all about his paperwork and grinned as Brett walked into the room – he had decided that making time for his remaining brother was of the utmost importance. He had not realised how much he had relied on Ted until the man was gone, he wasn’t about to treat Brett with anything other than the respect their bond should always have been shown... and there was still that flash of guilt whenever he considered his missing brother.

Brett grinned at him in that way that could mean only one thing, holding up something in his right hand. “Mail call.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Mike with a little too much feeling; the mail came sporadically but Ted’s letters were usually at around the same time of each month. When they were late, he was worried and this one had certainly been, verging on worryingly so. The letter Brett handed him was crumpled, the envelope clearly cheap but the penmanship was Ted’s rather beautiful script. The address that the letter bore was their parents and as always when he saw that, Mike felt some sadness. Ted might suspect that he would have gotten married but he didn’t know for sure, had never been inside Mike’s marital home, would have no idea that he was about to become an uncle for the first time. His wife had rather balked at the idea of calling their son Ted, pointing out that having two in the family already was confusing enough, but that was one issue that Mike was not going to be swayed on.

He tore open the envelope and realised that Ted had treated him to a somewhat longer than usual rundown of his life in the last month.

Dear Mike,

It doesn’t seem like a year since I saw you last but the calendar and the weather tell me that it has been. I assure you that I am in good health, I am well fed and doing well. I hope the same can be said of you, your fiancée and our entire family. I am slightly delayed in writing because I have been on the move again, I know I said I had settled in one place for a while only three months ago and was doing some manual labour to make money, but it was never a long term plan and to be honest, I have started to dislike staying in one place for any length of time. This place anyway. It’s not where I ever planned to settle down.

I would like to reassure you that although my current circumstances are more humble than I was used to previously, I could not be happier. It was not an easy choice by any means, but I am glad that I made the one that I did. My only regret is that I have not seen you or our family in this time, but as I said to you before I left, we shall see one another again somewhere in the future. I look forward to it.

And I know even as I write this that you’re blaming yourself and thinking that it was your presence that caused my flight. Or that I remain away when I might otherwise have returned because of your attempts to have me put under a doctor’s care. Nothing could be further from the truth. Eventually I would have had to choose one thing or the other and I know now that it would have been the same choice had you remained at home rather than searching for me. Nor would I return at this point even if I could be sure there would be no marriage and no threat of an asylum. I am more than content with my lot. It is not because I do not wish to see you that I do not return, it is that I do not wish to leave what I have now.

I do not know if I would have done the same in your position, I like to say that I would not but we DiBiase boys are a headstrong bunch who have always done whatever it takes to get our own way and regret our actions only later on. I understood and forgave your actions a long time ago and I sincerely hope that you have also forgiven mine, if not understood them. I certainly did not wish to cause any pain but I am aware that I have done so anyway. That is something I regret. But I hope that when fate does reunite us, we can release all animosity from the past and be glad that we have seen one another again. I look forward to it.

Take care big brother,

Ted.

Mike read over the letter twice before looking up at Brett. He knew the youngest of them would have already read his own but they did not share all that was in them. That was their own private conversation with their brother, as one-sided as it might be. But they would mention things that had been said sometimes, share concerns. Ted’s mention of a minor cold during the winter months had made them both panic and anxiously await the next letter and when it had come with no further mention of illness they had both been incredibly relieved.

“I think he’s feeling guilty again,” said Mike. “He’s talking about us meeting up again, forgiving us.”

“Ted was always sensitive like that,” replied Brett, his own letter in his hands. “He said something like that to me too. Told me not to be upset and get on with life whatever way I choose to live it.”

Mike laughed. “He didn’t say that to me this time, but he has said it before. I had no idea he felt so restrained by this place...” He hesitated. “I’m still glad we went to Bone Orchard. But because we got to see him one last time before he went.”

“I am too,” said Brett, almost solemnly. “But we’ll see him sometime Mike. I can feel it.”

Mike nodded. “Yeah, me too. I just hope he stays long enough to meet up with Theodore DiBiase the Third. Do you want to go to the parlour, have a drink?”

“Sounds good,” said Brett, waiting for Mike to put his letter in the top drawer of the desk along with the others he had amassed and left the room with the other man. In the momentary quiet something occurred to Brett and he started chuckling to himself, not stopping when he saw the curious look Mike gave him.

“I was just thinkin’,” said Brett rather mischievously. “What if when you see Ted and introduce him to Ted the Third – or Tedetta...” Mike made as if to smack his little brother on the back of the head and Brett instinctively ducked before continuing. “He introduces you to a Ted the Third he made himself? Then there’d be two of them!”

Mike quirked his lips in amusement – that would be something all right – but then shook his head, remembering the look on Ted’s face as the subject of his marriage was brought up, his lack of interest in romance at all. “Honestly Brett? I really don’t think that’s going to be an issue.”

~:~

“Ya know, I should charge ya for oglin’ my farm-hand while he’s workin, Mayor Jericho.” Chris startled somewhat from where he had been unashamedly watching as Evan moved around the cornfields fetching in the ears that had been marked out as usable, his shirt sticking to his lithe, built form impressively from the sweat that had accumulated on him both from the heat and exertion. It wasn’t too late in the day, mid-morning, but Chris knew Evan had been up since five that morning. Sure, he wasn’t needed at the farm until six-thirty, but Chris had awoken early and figured that his hard-working lover could do with a pleasant morning wake-up call. Despite many weeks-worth of moping, and the occasional lapse now and again, Evan had settled into Bone Orchard life comfortably.

Giving Mickie his best innocent look he then gave up when the amused looking brunette was obviously not buying it. Moving over to where she stood further towards the house, Chris then gently chucked the chin of the cooing baby in Mickie’s arms. To say it had been a shock for the town when possibly the most liberated and non-conformist woman they had ever seen married and had a child wouldn’t be an understatement. “He’s gorgeous,” Chris complimented the several-month-old new-born, seeing the dirty blonde fluffy hair already coming through on his head, “Which is amazing considering where half of his genetics come from.”

A male voice floated out from inside the house as a blonde poked his head around the doorframe, “An’ jus’ what is that supposed to mean, dear cousin?”

Holding up his hands in mock-surrender, Chris shrugged and sent a boyish grin to his cousin Christian Cage, the father of the child Mickie held and the brunette’s husband. The pair had been introduced after Christian had come back from a stint abroad and had decided to pop in and see his cousin before heading back to Canada. Christian had fallen for Mickie at first sight and although she had played hard to get for a while Christian had proved he was serious in his affections and the pair had begun courting and had gotten married just before Mickie discovered she was pregnant.

One of the things Mickie found most amusing about the whole thing now was that everyone in town seemed to treat her much kinder than before, and somehow the fact that she still wore trousers and worked on the farm herself didn’t matter too much now that she had a husband and child. “I didn’ plan on it, that’s for sure,” Mickie, smiling and radiant in her wedding-dress, had said to Chris on the day of her wedding just before he’d walked her down the church aisle, “But I can’ exactly say that I ain’t happy with the way things are goin’.”

Accepting baby Samuel from his wife, Christian settled the child comfortably in his arms as he addressed Chris, Mickie heading over to help Evan, “Aside from gawkin’ at yer boy—“Christian knew all about Evan, Chris had never been able to hide anything from him and he’d been fine with it since he said he’d never seen Chris so happy pre-Evan, “What brings ya out here, cousin? Ain’t ya got work of yer own to do?” Christian was always teasing him about the fact that one of the biggest child-delinquents in their family had managed to get such a respectable position in life.

“What?” Chris mock pouted, clutching his chest, “Ya don’ want me here?”

“Exactly,” Christian said, face completely serious, “So geddoffa our property before t’missus gets her shot-gun out on ya.” The infamous incident of Mickie and her shot-gun threatening their current sheriff and his deputy was well-known now, Mickie having warmed up most considerably to both men after the trial’s post-hysteria had died down and she had learned a good majority of extra truth concerning everything that hadn’t been given to the court for most obvious reasons. Before Chris could make some wise-aleck return to the other Canadian the sound of horse hooves in the distance caught his attention. Craning his neck he could make out two horses heading in their direction, neither Mickie nor Evan seeming to acknowledge the noise as they were still busy working. “Looks like we got some strangers coming into town,” Christian said with only some unease; he had heard about all his wife had been put through and he was always weary about new people coming into town… and it was no secret Hunter knew to not even so much as look as Mrs James-Cage after Christian had had words with him.

As the figures got closer though, and Chris could recognise several discernable features of both, his face broke into a smile, “Oh, those two ain’t strangers,” he said. Christian looked confused, but merely held his tongue and watched as the horses drew closer and closer. As the blonde and ravenette pulled up alongside the farm though Mickie and Evan looked up--- and Evan dropped the scythe that he had been cutting the corn with as his eyes widened in surprise. Before anyone could blink he was crossing the short distance to the low fence that lined the farm and bolted over it, all but jumping on the figure with dark hair, the blonde looking on to the scene with fondness.

Seeing Christian’s look (and sensing that his cousin was probably wondering why Chris wasn’t freaking out about the fact that his lover was throwing himself at a younger, attractive man) Chris supplied, “That’s Cody; he’s one of Evan’s best-friends and one of the guys he used to travel around with before he settled down with me.”

They couldn’t hear the words the pair exchanged but the smiles on both men’s faces said enough, Evan then turning and embracing the blonde that had accompanied the ravenette lightly in turn, obviously making some comment about the fact that the blonde had some stubble going on, if the way he indicated around the man’s jaw was any indication. “And him?” Christian asked, Mickie now having re-joined them both to allow the trio their reconciliation with some privacy.

“That’s Ted DiBiase. He came from a well-off family that tried t’force him into marriage an’ he didn’ want it, so he took off with Evan’s two friends ‘cause he’d gotten to know ‘em pretty well.”

The situation sounded pretty clean-cut from that explanation but Christian sensed that there was more to it even if he didn’t ask. “So, he’s like you then?” he asked with equal casualness and Chris nodded; that had always been Christian’s way of referring to his orientation since he had found out about it, especially when they were in public. As Evan and Cody began to talk once more, no doubt giving one another mile-a-minute run-downs of everything that had been happening in a year until they’d be forced to sit down and have a longer, more civilised conversation later, Ted made his way into the farm. Chris could see the improved confidence in the man’s posture and gait, and it was apparent he was more than happy with his lot.

“Well, well, well,” Chris grinned, moving forward and shaking Ted’s hand; it was much more calloused than the softness he had experienced the first time he had been introduced to Ted, showing how much his lifestyle had changed, “Welcome back t’Bone Orchard, Mr Smith,” he teased and Ted laughed, the apples of his cheeks colouring just a little bit.

“S’nice to be back, Mr Mayor, you’re lookin’ well.” Even though there was a much more causal manner of speech coming from Ted the refined air hadn’t faded away all that much in a year and Chris grinned.

“You remember Mickie o’course,” he indicated the brunette and Ted removed his hat with a polite incline of his head, “Ma’am,” Chris then indicated his cousin and nephew, “An’ this is her son Sam and her husband Christian.”

“Pleasure to meetcha,” Ted said to Christian, shaking his hand firmly and then tilting his head to give a sunny smile to the baby who seemed to smile brightly right back at him, cooing softly, “You’ve got a beautiful baby there,” he complimented and Mickie and Christian both seemed to glow with pride.

“So,” Chris said, Evan and Cody finally making their way back into the farm, “How long you two in town fer?”

They exchanged a look and shrugged, smiling. “Well,” Cody sent his brilliant smirk at them all and winked, “The heat’s off, I think we can hang around fer a little while.” As Chris made introductions afresh for Cody’s case to Mickie, Christian and baby Sam, Evan fell into step besides Chris, his smile radiant.

After a few moments though Ted noticed that Mr Cage seemed to be eying he and Cody oddly and politely asked, “Somethin’ wrong, sir?”

Christian blinked somewhat and then shook his head with a slight grin, “Nah, sorry, I did’ mean t’stare but Chris here said there was three of ya… where’s the third?” if something had happened to him surely they would have told Evan if he had been his friend, and if not it was rather rude if he hadn’t come to see the younger man.

Cody merely gave a secretive smile, “There was someone else in town he wanted t’see firs’, that’s all.”

Something about that still didn’t sit right with Christian though Evan merely laughed, shaking his head as though he had been expecting to get told that. Mickie placed her hand on Evan’s shoulder, smiling, “Why doncha go on home today, Ev? We can manage here without ya, an’ yeh’ve got company to look after.”

Evan’s eyes widened a little bit as he looked from his employer to his friends and then back again a time of two, “Mickie, are ya sure…?” he started, not wanting to shirk off his responsibilities.

Mickie nodded, still grinning, and Christian said, “Go on boy, gecher ass outta here.” Evan grinned and shook his head, kissing Mickie’s cheek and gently stroking baby Sam’s head as he shook Christian’s hand he then went and gathered his things before he and Chris began leading the pair of outlaws to their home after they had bidden goodbye to the farming couple.

As soon as they were safely out of earshot, Cody and Ted walking their horses since Chris and Evan didn’t have theirs with them, Cody teased, “Look at ya, all legit!” Evan blushed somewhat (though he insisted it was just the heat from all his hard work) before swatting at the other in a manner that filled them both with déjà vu.

“It’s good ta see ya again,” Chris said to them both and Ted smiled to him since Cody and Evan were playfully bickering with one another a little bit ahead of them now.

“It’s good ta see you two as well. Everything been alright since we’ve been gone?” he asked.

Chris nodded, giving a wanly amused smile, “Oh yeah, life’s been pretty borin’ since ya all lit outta here.” Though in truth the calmer monotony had been welcomed by Chris after all the things they had gone through the previous year. Nodding his head in response, Ted then chuckled as Chris pretended to look annoyed, “Don’ tell me that that no good Randy Orton’s gone t’molest my sheriff.” He wasn’t really mad about it; John wasn’t supposed to be actively, physically in work that day so it wasn’t as though it mattered if he got distracted by… someone.

“Well, d’ya want me to give you the correct answer or the child-friendly one?” Ted mused and Chris laughed slightly before shaking his head.

Looking Ted over somewhat, the Mayor’s house coming into view just ahead of them, Chris then said, “So, I take it ya didn’ regret yer decision t’not go home with yer brothers?”

Ted’s expression softened somewhat at the mention and Chris suddenly wondered whether he’d asked something insensitive before Ted shook his head. “Nah, I don’ regret it. I know that my folks’ll probably still be furious wit’ me, an’ my brothers might still be mad, but I write to ‘em anyway to let ‘em know how I’m going.” Chris nodded, deciding that he would wait a while before asking Ted if he ever intended to head back home; the topic was obviously a sensitive one and he didn’t want to cast a cloud over Evan’s happy reunion with Cody.

Tying their horses around back in Chris’ stable alongside Chris and Evan’s own horses, Cody and Ted headed into Chris’ home. It didn’t look as though much had changed in there in the year since they’d left, though Ted did muse, “Didja never get around t’maybe getting a coffee-table, Mr Mayor?” if Cody hadn’t have looked equally as clueless as him when Evan started to giggle and Chris went bright red then he would have been wondering whether he had said something other than what he had thought he was going to say. Chris’ evasive answer only made the situation more confusing, but when Evan returned with some sandwiches and drinks for them all they decided to just let the matter go. Sure, it was a bit early for lunch but Evan’s been doing manual labour for a good few hours by then and he didn’t doubt Cody and Ted had to be hungry too.

“Randy is comin’ by t’see ya,” Cody said after finishing his first sandwich.

Evan nodded and smiling somewhat, “Good, otherwise I’d have t’go an’ interrupt him an’ the sheriff t’kick his ass. Good job I ain’t a sensitive fella or I could be really hurt by that,” he joked and his companions laughed.

“So… you’ve been doin’ good then, yeah?” Cody asked, expression softening and Evan nodded emphatically; he had been really happy in his time with Chris, and though it hadn’t always been perfectly smooth sailing for them both they had always come out of the bad situations stronger than before as a couple.

“So… ya’ve been doin’ alright then as an outlaw in the rough-and-tumble, Mr Smith?” Evan teased Ted and once again the blonde went a little red as his old pseudonym was used against him. “

It took some getting used to,” he wouldn’t lie, “But I wouldn’ change the time fer anythin’.” Cody smiled as he said that.

“Since you’re all back,” Chris started, “I’m guessin’ that yeh’ve all been keepin’ your noses clean?”

Cody nodded after a few moments, swallowing the last mouthful of his second-sandwich; they hadn’t had chance to stop for breakfast and had been riding since it was still dark that morning to make it to Bone Orchard in a decent time. “Yeah,” he said casually, “We’ve really been doin’ odd jobs more so’n bank robbin’ now.” Evan was surprised, but then not at the same time. It seemed things really had changed in the year they’d been apart, hadn’t they?

~:~

Evan would understand why he didn’t first stop by to see him, Randy was sure, but he had promised John that he would be the first person he would seek out and that had been a promise he had visited many a-time when he had been travelling with Cody and Ted. At night as those two had warmed one another with their body-heat, curled together underneath a blanket and with their packs as pillows, the only warmth Randy could derive came from his memories. Even now the fact that he was so damned smitten with John seemed so far-fetched to him that he found himself wondering whether he had dreamt the whole thing. Drawing up by the jailhouse Randy neatly kicked himself off of Venom, tying her reins securely to the post used for such a purpose.

The haughty mare tossed her head in a manner that Randy swore was her way of saying, ’Well at least maybe now you’ll stop moping, stupid human’ and Randy grinned to her before patting her neck and then ducking when she tried to take a playful bite out of his shoulder. As he stood before the door though he suddenly found himself feeling rather nervous; a year was a long time and time could change things. Bone Orchard might not look too different from what he had seen as they had ridden back into town but that didn’t mean people hadn’t changed.

“He ain’t in there,” Randy startled suddenly as the voice sounded behind him, straightening himself up and adopting his usual aloof manner--- though he did ease off somewhat when he realised who was making their way towards him.

“Nice t’see ya again, Randy,” Alex Riley still held some of his baby-faced air about him but it was easy to see he’d matured and grown over the time since Randy had left. The outlaw nodded his head politely, “Deputy.” He then hesitated even though he had the feeling Alex had sussed out he and John long ago.

“There was a bar scuffle las’ night an’ our sheriff got a little knocked about---“Randy’s eyes widened somewhat and Alex flashed a grin, “Don’ worry though, he’s doin’ Ok; it was just Mayor Jericho orderin’ ‘im home t’rest that got ‘im outta the jailhouse.” John had to have been the most conscientious and determined sheriff that they had ever had, and the people had grown to trust him and treat him as one of their own, and the whole situation with Batista, Hunter and Michaels had faded, essentially, into history, the only reminders being when two of the aforementioned men appeared. Batista’s hanging had taken place as scheduled a few days after the trial and people still whispered about the fact that Batista had seemed happy as that trapdoor had swung open on him.

“So, uh,” Randy scuffed his boot somewhat, angry that he seemed so awkward but unable to help it underneath Alex’s bright and knowing grin.

“They refurbished a house near the edge of town for him.” It had to be close by so that the people could fetch him quickly if he wasn’t in the jailhouse, of course, but also far away so that John got privacy when he wanted to be alone. Alex gave Randy directions and then winked before casually striding into the jailhouse, closing the door behind him. Shaking his head somewhat bemusedly Randy patted Venom’s next once more and made his way towards the house that Alex had directed him to. Upon reaching it he smirked to himself somewhat and casually tried the door--- and smirked wider when the door opened silently underneath the pushing motion of his hand.

Using the stealth he had obtained from years of stealing to survive in terms of food and of sneaking into some banks in an attempt to go for the trickier attempts outside of just barging in and guns blazing, Randy made his way into what he assumed was the living-room. He didn’t know why he went there instead of say, searching for John’s bedroom, but his gut instinct had never failed him before and so he doubted that it would this time around. However, when he had stepped into the distinctly neat, rather homey looking room, a gun-barrel pressed against his lower-back and a large hand (a hand he recognised the touch of even with over a year’s time between them) locked around his throat. Keeping himself relaxed in the hold, Randy turned his head just enough and drawled, “Is that really yer gun, sheriff, or are ya pleased t’see me?” he heard a slight surprised gasp from his captor.

The hand restraining him immediately fell away and Randy turned around to find himself coming essentially nose-to-nose (give or take an inch) with John. Letting his lips curve into his self-assured smirk, though there was a soft edge to it of genuine desire and affection, Randy cocked his head at the wide-eyed, loose-jawed man. “Ya look like yeh’ve seen a ghost—“his jibe was cut short though as he suddenly found himself being tackled to the ground, the familiar strong weight of John’s body over his hips as the sheriff’s lips covered his own, John kissing him deeply, passionately. Possessively, even.

As soon as the kiss broke Randy chuckled lowly, “Ok, ya missed me. But, given how sexy I am, I don’ blame ya a bit—“the words were greeted with a groan of wan amusement from John, but the other was smiling. Randy’s smile slid somewhat though as he noticed that John was sporting a rather impressive black eye and a bruise on his cheek, something that did not sit well with the outlaw at all. The older man didn’t flinch as Randy reached to touch underneath his eye gently at the bruising, shaking his head, though Randy could see a small flicker of pain in his face. “Damn, Cena…”

“Ain’t nothin’ important,” John said, hands braced on the floor either side of Randy’s head from where he leant over him, “Bit of-a fight las’ night, s’all. Only downside is that it takes away from my natural good looks,” he winked his good eye, “I woulda made more of’n effort if I’d-a known ya was comin’ back t’town.” Randy smirked slightly, shaking his head. Even covered in bruises John was still gorgeous, and he’d probably still be fucking crazy about the man even if he put on a lot of weight and shaved his head completely, but Randy wasn’t about to admit that. Showing some of his feelings was one thing, but there were just some things that you kept to yourself.

“Seriously sheriff, yeh’re slackin’,” he teased instead, pretending to look unimpressed.

Feeling hips roll against his own Randy groaned, teeth digging into his bottom lip lightly as he looked up at John. Though there had been a few people he’d had in his bed since he had parted from the man over him none of the encounters had been anywhere near as pleasurable as his times with John and he wanted the man more now than ever. “Yah wanna see where I ain’t slackin’?” John drawled back to him, bright blues smouldering. The hardness he could feel pressing into his stomach was definitely not a gun-butt this time.

“I’d be pretty fuckin’ disappointed if ya didn’ plan on askin’ me that,” Randy drawled back casually, as though he too wasn’t hard as a fucking diamond.

Getting off of Randy, John reached down and grabbed his hand, yanking the lankier man to his feet with very little difficulty. The brunette then winked his good eye once more and turned, towing Randy through the comfortably sized and surprisingly well-decorated house that John had. He had been given it about a week after he had officially settled into town, Chris having called in some people to sort it out for him before actually letting him move into it. It was part of his way of expressing his gratitude to him, Chris had said, despite the fact that john had insisted it wasn’t necessary.

The bed inside of the room was pretty big, bigger than either they had used in the hotels when they had first arrived in the area, and Randy knew he wasn’t going to regret messing the neat covers up even a little. “Wanna help me christen the bedroom, Randy?” John cooed into his ear and Randy shivered somewhat, both from John’s warmth pressed into his front and also the tongue that decided to trace around the sensitive lobe of his ear. Before he could respond he found himself being pushed hard in the chest, sprawling over the soft covers in surprise as the back of his legs hit the bed.

John’s body covered his own not minutes later and their mouths pressed together, the kiss being much sweeter and slower than the previous ones, though the passion and possessive tendencies both had were not encumbered in any fashion just because they had slowed it down somewhat. As John’s hands tugged at his shirt Randy lifted himself up enough to allow it to be pulled off, revelling in the growl of desire that left John’s mouth. “Eager, are we?” he quipped jokingly, but it was obvious he didn’t mind at all.

“You sayin’ yeh’re not?” John retorted, cupping his groin pointedly.

“I didn’ say that did I?” Randy managed around a low groan, allowing John to divest them both of the rest of their clothing before yanking the man closer so that he could feel him, skin-on-skin once more without any interruptions or needing to worry about someone hearing the lustful sounds they made as their arousals rubbed together.

“How long ya in town fer?” John murmured into Randy’s collarbone where his lips had been feasting, not wanting to ruin the mood but needing to know all the same.

Feeling a hand threading into his short hair he allowed himself to be pulled back to meet Randy’s gaze as the outlaw responded casually with, “Oh… I think I’ll be here fer a while this time.”

~:~

It was later – much later – that Randy and John left the house. They were dressed and clean, both of them appearing sedate enough, but they both knew that they weren’t going to hide the looks in their eyes or the smiles on their faces from their friends. They were talking among themselves amicably enough, but there was a lot more laughter coming from the conversation than townsfolk might have expected from their usually sedate sheriff.

“I really can’t believe that Mickie didn’t start minin’ fer oil on her place,” Randy mused. “She’s gotta be sittin’ on a fortune.”

“She didn’t want no part of it,” John told him. “Said she was happy enough the way she was, she was gettin’ by and didn’t want no extravagant life. And it was always an option fer her kids. So she kept up the farm instead and ain’t Hunter pissed ‘bout that? Word is, he’s thinkin’ of quittin’ Bone Orchard fer good, probably woulda done already if it weren’t admittin’ defeat. And Shawn, he’s workin’ fer Hunter now but I ain’t sure he’s happy. Ain’t no one in town’ll give ‘im the time of day and that ain’t good fer him, he gotta be a big shot, y’know? Anyway, Mickie’s happy enough. And if anyone goes over there askin’ ‘bout them sellin’ up, her husband soon sends ‘em on their way.”

“Mickie really got married?” Randy chuckled. “Shit, must be quite a guy. I thought she’d still be pinin’ after me.”

“Maybe she ain’t that much like me,” replied John and then blushed slightly as he realised what he’d just insinuated. Randy just chuckled again and gave John an affectionate look. If John asked, he would confess that he had been with another body when the urge not to be alone had gotten too much, but he was not about to volunteer that of his own accord. Similarly, he was not about to ask John how he had staved off his own need during their separation. He didn’t know if there had been anyone or not and he knew he could accept if it was meaningless – but he also knew he’d be jealous and more than likely to drag up the name every time they fought. Given that for the first time they would be spending a reasonable amount of time together, he thought they might fight quite a bit. And the making up would be the sweetest part.

“Hey, did my lawyer ever leave town?” he asked to break the momentary embarrassment John was feeling – he knew that he could have teased John about it all night long, but given that they were about to meet up with their friends, he didn’t want to start something that would not be ended by the time they were there. Give him until they got home. “He seemed ta have some big dreams.”

John shrugged. “Perhaps, but his big dream didn’t seem ta mean leavin’ town. What he really wanted was to be the big shot in town. Might even be gettin’ his wish, since Cole’s windin’ down his dealin’s some. Seems Mike proved that he could deal with the place by himself.” He laughed a little and Randy shot him a questioning look. “Y’know my deputy, Riley? When I took over, he was livin’ with his parents still and ‘bout a hundred siblin’s. He got him a raise, Chris insisted on it and he decided ta rent out a room a few months back. Mike Mizanin’s spare room as it happens.”

Randy raised an eyebrow. It was far from unheard of for single men to take a room in a boarding house or with some homeowner who was either unmarried or had no children, but Randy had been witness to a few moments between Alex and Mike as he watched through the bars. “Rentin’ a room?”

“Might just be best ta leave it as rentin’ a room.” John shrugged. “Mike was in some danger that whole time too remember and he says ‘round town that folks knowin’ that the deputy lives there too makes him feel safer. Also that it brings him more business than he might’ve had otherwise. So’s far as anyone knows, it works out well fer the both of ‘em.”

“I just bet it does,” murmured Randy with a grin, deciding he was probably the last person who should be commenting on the lifestyles of anyone else, particularly someone who had helped him back in the day. The two of them reminisced the rest of the way to the bar, Randy asking about some of the other people he’d gotten to know and liked. He found out that the Morrison’s were doing okay and there were no new additions to their already large brood, while the Ziggler’s were expecting for the first time and although Maria was trying to work for a few months at least, she was occasionally complaining that Chris wasn’t really leaving her much to do – apparently he’d decided that she shouldn’t be doing anything at all in her condition and doing her job for her while continuing to pay for her services. John joked that the mayoral house had never been so tidy.

In return Randy told him a little – a very little since they didn’t have much time – about life on the road. “Ted was... shocked,” he admitted with a wicked little smile. “Had a few moments when I thought he’d just give up, ‘specially when it got cold and there weren’t always food or heat or money comin’ in. But he stuck with it, worked damned hard. Harder than me n’ Cody, tryin’ ta prove somethin’. Turns out he ain’t just some rich kid. He’d do just about anythin’ ta stay with Cody, I gotta admire that.”

By the time they got to Wade’s saloon Randy decided he’d probably caught up with enough on the townsfolk and moved on to the questions he’d really wanted to ask. “How’re ya findin’ things stayin’ here? Too sleepy for ya?” He glanced at John’s black eye. “Or too excitin’?”

“It has its moments,” said John ruefully, touching his cheek as they walked into the bar. “We can always talk ‘bout it later, when we ain’t got nothin’ else ta discuss. If yer still around.”

In the corner, Randy noticed that there was a table with several people he recognised there, none of whom had seen him yet – Ted and Cody were those he saw on a daily basis but he couldn’t hold back his grin as he saw Evan, animatedly talking about something. “Y’don’t get rid of me that easy Sheriff,” he murmured, almost directly into John’s ear. “I plan on stickin’ ‘round a whole lot longer this time.”

And then he was gone, going over to the table and hailing them as casually as if he’d seen them only an hour before. Evan leap to his feet with a cry, almost knocking the table right over as he flew at Randy and hugged him – definitely not done between men but most people in town were used to Evan’s occasionally exuberant ways by then and he raised no more than a couple of chuckles. And Randy really didn’t give a shit about the opinions of a bunch of barflies, he hugged Evan back just as hard, laughing a little and telling the younger man how much he had missed him.

John watched the scene for a moment and smiled, heading toward the bar. Justin greeted him with a wide grin. “Hi there Sheriff.”

“Hey Justin.” John nodded and eyed the drinks on display. “Better give me a bottle o’ beer fer every one of them reprobates.”

“Six, I have it!” Justin’s attention was mostly on John but John knew that he sensed when Wade came up behind him because his expression changed just a little.

“Hey there Sheriff,” greeted Wade, standing just behind Justin. “Old friends back in town?”

“That they are,” replied John, probably looking more cheered than he should have done by the news.

“Lookin’ forward to catchin’ up,” Wade told him, turning to the shelf behind the bar – and John raised his eyebrows as he noticed that Wade seemed to trail his hand along the small of Justin’s back, dangerously close to his ass, as he did so. There had been one or two moments like that he had noticed in the last month or so, but this was the most blatant – and probably because Wade knew something about himself and Randy and knew that his secret was safe there, the way that most secrets were safe with him. “Here, take this on the house.”

John gave a surprised but pleased look at the brandy Wade presented him with. “Yer gettin’ soft in yer old age Barrett?”

“Nah, drunk men spend their money more freely.” Wade gave him a wink that meant John didn’t know if he was joking or not. “Enjoy yer celebration.”

“I sure will,” replied John, taking the beers from a (slightly blushing?) Justin and having something of a hard time carrying them to the table. Ever the gentleman, it was Ted who stood and helped him to get them all onto the table, Evan and Randy still stood and laughing, taking little notice of them.

“Hey, assholes!” Cody raised his voice. “Git over here!”

Randy and Evan gave each other exasperated looks and went back over to the table. “Yer a demandin’ bitch, aincha?” teased Randy, to a rude gesture from Cody and a warning look from Ted.

Evan took no notice and reached over the table for his drink, leaning back in his chair and allowing a hand to vanish beneath the table – none of them were in doubt that it had gone to Chris’ knee, especially given the smirk the mayor was trying to hide. Evan raised his bottle. “Ta the three of us back together again.”

“And our well-wishers,” added Randy with a wicked smirk.

“I got a cell ya could get real comfy in Orton, if ya keep that up,” said John, although the smile gave away that he wasn’t serious.

“To all of us?” suggested Cody.

That much at least they could all agree to drink to.

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo all, we hope you've enjoyed the start of our work!
> 
> As this is a re-posting I will try to update as often as I can. I will make an effort for once a week updates at the minimum. I'm due to be starting work soon and when that happens my schedule will be a bit all over the place!
> 
> Anyhoo, we hope you continue to enjoy this work and future works we post :)


End file.
